Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-01-25

ttl. a1ty's share OF fhs state school funo, 1
annually apportioned. bs withheld un'ii 4
the requjrasnsnts srs met. The pro-
visiona In the 1919 school code 81 Deln I
wsre empowering the State hoard 4
10 aboliah tbs special District. Huto-
fnsticnlly placing the schools under tho
county board, also, In such case, pro.
vlding that all the property snd ssseb
shall pass % tho county bonrd. the
legal title to all such property, the Law
reads. tn be conveyed IN the county
board, II not only unnscsssary but 10
altogether too drastic as applied to
city such az Wilmington.
Clearly. the school code ~ Delaware
was written with the needs ~ hack
ward and poorly managed rursi schools
in mind Such districts need just suof
centralized. directing, and cornpsilins
authority Al IL provided for by the 1919
code From the standpoint ~ this
need the code ls admirable In its ss-
ssutiai features and should, In It's
structure, remain intact. Bot 20 make
~ II an instrument for Wilmington.
stimulating and helpful rather Than re
prsssiye, many changes should be In
tfQduoed. These could. however, be In
troduced easily and nsturslly by In
sertlns An article written 90 apply
either 90 Wilmington alone or ~ citior
Of given class
Wilmington shonid Become m Integral
Part Of the State School system.
WITHOUT any 5oubT the gr4aL-stride-
| language in which sUch minimum
COURSES shall be taught shall be the
English language: but large latitude
| should be allowed the cities ~ State
a. H.
md requirements and IN going beyond
| them az whatever point desired.
| Again. to the erd that the health ~ aTl
| the children of thte state shall be ssfe-
| guarded minimum requirements re-
/ speclIng school buildings. their light
| ing. their heating and ventilation, their
/ sanitary provisions. their equipment
| could properly be required hy the state
| but again. in ali matters ~ detail IN
/ meeting such general requirements The
| cities ~ The State should b. free 20
| follow their own judgments 30 IN
/ many other matters concerning The
| control ~ the schools the broad. general
| minimum standards which shall ob-
| tain could rightfully he set by the
/ properly constituted state authpriuea.
| but the way in which these standards
| ere met in the case of the cities - the
/ state should be left to locsl authorifiss
state Inrpeetiou and PenaTrstion.
/ Furthermore. tha aupervi~ion-e~ ir
| fpectlou ~ city ~vstaua- ~ Ef-'e ri
| thorf4~r should 20 m further fhs-
| that ---inh IL nAed@d ~ satisfy ina ls'
| ter that tha minimum standards re'
for All schools are r1et -rpe rvi-i0~
| or inspection that goes bavrr1 mis-
2 = matter ~ legal right becomes irri
| tafing nd irkEorne and csn 10 m Eo0d
| On the ether h= nd where tho oF7~~ N
state commissioner ir stated. in
| rnanv states with recognized expoyts
| in various depa rtrneuts ~ e5u~zfioral
! activity. as in elernentarv school work
| high school work. vo~atioral and ir-
/ duztrial activities. and other special
/ lzed fields the state officer Car render
/ much rervsoe n the SCHOOL af-0iri-tra
tors n citv Rut this relation ~ n
rnust he voluntary and pernnis-ive
one-one founded on mutual respect
and Food sill and advisory IN character
II good results are n come ~ -
Again. IN the matter n psnsiivinz ?
| city system for infrsction ~ The law or
because Of failure 10 meet thA rules m
regulations laid down by a state hoard
the school laws ~ the COUNTRY ge0ar
ally 90 no further than 70 require fhaf
made bv this Nation during tho pas
50 years IN the field ~ aducsfioral
theory and practice have hean due i7
| large part n the remarkable growth
and development n the s~hool syster7E
Of the cites Indeed. 70 is chiefly ho-
cause ~ the contributions 70 This hodv
Of theory and practice made ~ our
city school systems that This Nation
now occupies tho cn1-iahls place among
4
holds Moreover II must frankly -
said. cities have been able 70 make me
strides and Tho notable contributor
% administrative and pedagogical prsr-
| tiCa that they have made very largely
because they have been free from out
side Interference and. In consequences
able. within thsir financial limitations
70 work out their own problems in ther
own way
Until within the last few years ~,
States have granted to The cities vithir
their border almost any kind - ar
educational charter or an educatlona
enactment v'hich they desired. rhsr'
Is. however. rapidlv growing t-nder
cY among States "a increase their con
troll and supervision over AL ~ 'hei
respective school units. including -ha
OF the city district. This tendenc,
n the natural response 70 me iie u
that education is primarily a function
not OF an individual nor Of locaiity
but Of the state that Il is ne state
, business in the interest Of citizenship
to see to Il that every child within lt
borders. wherever IL may be. has
right to an opportunity 20 20 IS fnr {,
securing an education rs his will an,
his ability permit As long as thi
tendency to centralized control stop
short Of restricting and represstng IN
I initiative ot cities it 10 thoroughly Wis
: and sound
] Supervision. then. by the state Boar
: OF Education Of Delaware, within thl
: limitations outlined and with the safe
!. guards mentioned. would help Whining
ton very much The following ar
some Of the benefits which would &c
j. crue were such supervision wisely AZ
3 rninistered under the conditions se'
:, forth:
Il would prevent the Wum,1 gtoi
schools from ever falling beloN
? minimum level in respect TO such mat
: ters as teacher qualifications. tcache
2 salaries. sanitary school condition.
: financial support. studies pursued. etc
because Of local political farebacks o
/. because Of the influence OF local per
! sons who might seek to exploit N
a schools for personal ends, on tho on
: hand. or who might neglect them. o
$ the other.
: 2. II would materially help in ii