Smyrna times., 1922-05-24
ATTENDANCE IN STATE RURAL
SCHOOLS A VEX|NG PROBLEM
HOW TO MEET 1T IS BEING con-
SIDERED BY EDUCATORS
State Board of Education Opens Cam
paign to Show Benefits of Ap-
plicatiOn For a Learning

lem and the best measures to adopt |
to enthuse the public school instruc-
tors who posses minimum standard |
certificates enabling them to follow
their profession, to strive to obtain a
higher standing, are two of the knOtty
questions to which the State Board of
Education is giving thoughtful consid-
GRAFTON. Both questions were talked
over informally at the meeting of the
State Board last week, out no change
was made in the plans that have been
in the minds of the members for some
time.
While there is law calling for
compulsory attendance of so many
days each year, there has been no
concerted attempt to have it enforced.
The matter, wherever it has been pos
sible, has been talked over with the
parents and in many cases this has
won out. Now the board has decided
upon an appeal to the pocketboOk OF
every taxpayer in the state, who may
have been keeping Johnny or Mary
out of school to work about the farm.
Cardboard signs have been author
lied which will contain figures show
ing the cost of education for each
child. The signs will be distributed in
every store, postoffice, cross roads and
other places where the rural popula-
tion is likely to congregate. The signs
will show to the parent that in keep
ing the child home, it has wasted just
so much of his money-that is his
prOportionate share, and that this
waste is not to be blamed upon anv
one but himself. The expenses of edu-
eating the child will be figured out
year by year, and through this appeal
to the pocketbOok of the taxpayer, the
State Board hopes to induce him not
to squander any more of his money
paid in taxes to the state, through
failing to send his boy or girl to
school.
Still another method of aiding in OBJ
tanning an education for the boy or
girl who is kept at home, has been
suggested in the shape of night
,,
where the boy or girl has employment
in some industry. Whether such a plan
would work out successfully, is a ques-
tiOn that the members have not de-
termined. Some of the members feel
that to the ambitious boy or girl kept
at home during the day, and who pos
sessed a desire to better his or her
condition, such a schOOl-sOrt of a
parttime school, might be a blessing
in disguise.
The greatest difficulty the State
Board of Education has met with in
the attendance problem has been the
indifference of many parents to wheth-
er their children attended school OF
not. Many of them did not have the
advantages of such modern school
buildings as Delaware is rapidly ac-
cumulating, and there was not the
incentive for them to attend school.
Improving Teachers Standing
In their efforts to improve educa-
tiOnal standards in the state, the mem
bers of the State Board realize that ia
turn out intelligent and progressive
students, they must have a teaching
corps that is thoroughly efficient them.
selves and competent to instruct
others In this latter particular, there
is big problem that the members o.
the board are talking over at every
opportunity. That is how to Undue,
the public instructors to improve thei
standing.
At the present time there are 13-
school teachers in Delaware, VIII,
posses but a minimum grade certifi
cate, emitting them to follow thei
profession. In other words, thes
teachers have certificate that bring
them within the standard, but of tn
lowest character of certificate. Wha
the state board wishes is to have thes
teachers study and increase thei
talents and ability to teach.
Whenever these teachers, who ar
almost entirely young women, ar
asked why they do not endeavor t
advance themselves another grade b
| passing lCSbS Slldb WOllu blACi
to teach in a higher grade, the answe
almost always is that they do not il
tend to remain a school teacher a
their life and that it is likely they Wi
get married "any way" COnfronte
with such an argument the board hs
been rendered almost powerless,
cope with the situation.
One of the methods adopted by tt
W board last winter was reading cours
Books selected with the idea of in
proving the teaching ability and stan
lie ing of the teachers have been give
them. Tests have been given at fir
quent intervals to determine wheth
Id the teacher has advanced because
the course. Not all of the teache
have consented to take this course, b
those who have, have usually ben
cd fitted.
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