Evening journal., 1922-12-09

he said. depends largely upon the
accident of having been born at a
certain place" A child attending
school in the country. he said, ac-
cording to government statistics
stands four times the danger OF be-
coming illlterate as the child in the
city,
IF child is born in the rural
districts" he said, lit will be taught
by teachers whose average salary
is S774. In the city the average is
about $3.50 or the 100000 teach
ers employed in the country schools
$4,000 have no more education than
represented by a seventh or eighth
grade elementary grade. education.
They are teaching 100000 boys
and girls. In addition 100000 have
less than what approximates a sec
ond-grade high school education,
and 100000 children are being
taught by teachers who have not had
one scintilla of preparation for the
work they are trying TO do"
Encouraging Progress Shown
DR.. Holloway's picture OF the pro-
gress made in educational facilities
in Delaware especially during the
past four years was more encourag-
ing.
Four years ago he said Delaware
ranked thirty-eighth in general ef-
ficiency, Montana California and
New Jersey ranking first second and
third in the order named.
That fact" he declared was Sc
riously resented by our people. As
a result a new school law was pass
ed then another new school law. No
state has been so prolific in writing
school laws. But it has not been in
vain. Delaware now ranks with
California. We have come from an
educational index OF 42.4s up TO 20.
an increase in our educational stan
dard OF practically 90 per cent IN
four years.
He said the paramount problems
OF the people Of this state today are
the securing OF a sufficient number
OF professionally trained teachers
and a sufficient number OF sanitary
school buildings. He said 5000 pu-
pills are under teachers who could
not satisfactorily meet the lowest
qualifications; that of the $4,000
children outside the city Of Whining
ton, $500 last year attended school
less than 100 days.
Many children" he said. ARE be-
ing taught in school rooms in which
many of our up-to-date farmers
would refuse to house their cattle
He told OF the auctioning of school
building recently in Sussex county
which only brought s17, and de
clared that OF the fifty rural school
buildings in New Castle county one
half would not bring more than si1
If the people who bought them could
see them beforehand.
The speaker declared there were
schools only ten minutes ride from
the city OF Wilmington where the
and sanitary conditions
were such as "to bring tears TO the
eyes"
Thu great question. he said is
where are we going to get the
money!" The second question he
added, is whether the State is going
10 build schools. whether the state
will cooperate with local communi-
ties. or permit the communities
TO do it.
The State, he said. has already as
sumed the Bonded Indebtedness or
school districts 10 the extent OF
$500. 900. including $33O,OOO for the :
City OF Wilmington Declaring that
IL the State takes care OF these bond I
issues the bonds are much more
easily sold, he insisted that If the /
state assumes this responsibility II !
naturally follows the state should .
determine where the buildings were
going to be erected.
DR.. Washburn told how the new
Roard Of Education i'm this city, in 4
spite OF the financial handicap I'M
posed on It by Councils refusal 10
give it half the amount set forth IN
the budget. has made considerable
progress in improving school condl-
tions.
He criticised the school law, in
that so long as the board was 70
be elected by the people the ooard.
should have the power TO determine
the amount OF money necessary loi
the erection, maintenance and oper-
alton OF the school plant. He said
the boards finances were decided
by men utterly incompetent even
to have an opinion as TO school mat
ters." He said it was hardship on
the board to figure the needs Of the
schools and then have some people
hardly able to write their names
veto the plan"
rfe suggested a school law that
would enable the Wilmington board
to make the school plant what II
ought to be. He said the board was
unable TO purchase supplies 10 ad-
or employ teachers at the
proper time of the year because II
did not know how much money it
was going to have. Under the
workings of the state school law"
he said. the income from the State
is determined by the number of
pupils in the high school. and then
it is necessary to wait until Febru-
ary TO determine what the enroll
ment is going to be before the board
gets money from the State Board.
Educational Week was observed