Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-10-10
MAY HAVE TO CURTAL
PUBLIC SCHOOL WORK
Funds for Americanization and
immigrant Education About
Exhausted.

w. |
port read at the meeting Of the Board
OF Education in city hall yesterday.
The work OF Americanization and
immigrant education Is also suffering
from lack OF funds, Superintendent
Ward pointed out in his report. This
situation is further elaborated upon by
smother report made to the board OF
Marguerite II. Burnett, director OF the
department Of immigrant education.
Miss Burnett cites the fact that the
appropriation under which this special
department Is operating expires De-
cember 81 and that the Legislature
cannot be depended upon to a any
new appropriation until we'll along In
February.
This means hat. there will be a
hiatus Of from eight to twelve weeks
when the work must stop or be carried
on without funds unless the Board of
Education or City Council will ad-
vance money to cover the expenses OF
the department during that hiatus,
the report continued.
The board took no definite action on
either Superintendent Wards or Miss
Burnett's recommendations for fnan-
cial aid tabling all motions until a
complete report is made of the imam
c.al condition Of the body.
II was suggested at the meeting that
a colored nurse be employed for spe-
cial duty in the schools attended by
colored children. rather than nave a
white nurse on duty. The suggestion
was unanimously endorsed by all the
members but action was deferred until
n later date.
The three school nurses. the board
decided. will be placed on a ten months
nav basis and the school attendance
officers on a twelve month pay basis
II was at first thought to increase the
work Of the nurses to last during the
ummer months, which would be VIZ
tually the same as decreasing their
wages.
DR.. Ward and other members of the
board are seeking the cooperation OF
the school nurses in keeping down the
current expense of the department
asking them to aid the attendance of1-
GERS in their duties, such as census TAX
ing and seeing that parents are not
derelict IN their duty Of sending their
children to school.
It was stressed that a nurse. whiie
in A ne.ghborhood tending a case Oh
Illness could. without Inconvenience on
her part. 60 TO other families in the
~same ~neighborhood where parents are
violating the school law.
II was Miss Burnett's suggestion
that an additional attendance officer
be employed which prompted the ap-
peal Of the beard for the cooperation
OF III, nurses until sufficient funds
can be obtained with which 10 employ
an extra ofncer.
During the coming year the de-
partment Of immigration intends to
make An extra ordinary effort TO re-
duce appreciably the illiteracy Ct about
three thousand of the city's adult,
foreign born population, the report
states. Il also hopes by means OF
carefully conducted intelligence tests
70 compile some accurate and valu-
able information about the foreign
groupe Of the city as represented in
the Americanization schools.
Upon motion of several members
the board finally decided to follow the
example OF several other cities and
establish a janitors' training school
"a. be supervised by an expert janitor
ana CIctnSE. Inc SNsA~Ol N-AA bt Wa
Quoted primarily 20 reduce waste, &c
make conditions more sanitary and
70 show the janitors the correct way
TO ARE for the heating plants in the
schools.
A contract for eXcavating for the
foundation Of the new portable school
house which It is proposed to erec'
st Fourteenth and Washington street:
al No. "a school was awarded tt
Sahitino and Bros, the lowest bidder
Secretary Bruce was also given per
mission 10 advertise for bids for the
schools heating plant
In outlining the work Of the schools
research department, in his report DR.
Ward said:
zone Of the chief aims OF the De.
partment OF Research will be to study
the quantity and quality Of inetruc
ton from a standpoint OF helpfulnes!
- teachers and pupils in discovering
when results are above or below I'll,
standard accepted IN a given grade o.
subject. and to facilitate as much a.
possible the progress OF pupils from
grade 10 grade throughout their echoo
life.
"One Of the most difficult period.
IN the educational progress of the
child is the transition from the ele.
mentary to the high school. Two prob
lens as the result Of this transition
constantly confront both grammar
school and high school teachers. On,
81 the dihiculty OF preparing the pupi
in grammar school to take up tn,
work OF high school without loss O
time in experimenting his knowledg.
OF the fundamental subjects Will
particular information necessary 70
the successful study Of the high schoo
subjects. The other problem is tn,
dinculty Of selecting a curriculum
which is best adapted TO the needs an,
abilities OF the pupils for enterin,
high school.
"A spelling test has been prepare
for all grades. except the first, in
Guiding the high school classes. Thi
test has been given by the teachers
and the results are now being tabu
lated in the Research Department,
Over 10000 children have taken tbi
test. which was ba sed upon the Aver
Standard Test. From this survey o
the entire city in spelling there Wi
result interesting and useful informa
ton which will be given to tn
teachers.
In close relation to the Researc,
Department arrangements nave bee
made for a course of study in Test
and Measurements to be given by a
instructor from the University Q
Pennsylvania. These teachers, on be
ing offered the opportunity, are tax