Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-11-21
DIR. Thomas Tells
Names Progress in
Education, Rockland
Dedication of School

Especial to the kennebec JournaD
Rockland. Me-. Nov. 20-Speaking
at the dedication Of the new Rock
land High school building this eve
ming, DR.. Augustus o. Thomas, State
commissioner Of education. declared
that Maine people are to be congratu-
lated on the way they have taken
hold Of the great problem of furnish
ing the best schools they are capable
Of furnishing to their children.
"Rockland places herself in line
with the progressive communities of
Maine in her new building and shows
her faith both In her children and in
education" asserted Commissioner
Thomas. "Rockland has some fine
children and Is not too lax in helping
them. / have discovered on numer-
Gus occasions some rare ability
among the children of this city.
MAINE is not a backward state
educationally. She has a hard job in
building her schools but Maine peo-
pie are fully able to cope with diff
cult tasks. They have always done
so and have always surmounted
them. The ruggedness of our soil,
the ruggedness of our climate and the
ruggedness of our occupations have
made for rugged people-rugged ply
sically, rugged courageously and
very fact of difficult problem con-
fronting q people gives them both
courage and strength to overcome.
Maine Is a rural state. No large
cities, a scattered population, and
diversified industries have made 1t
extremely difficult to build system
Of education such as we would Wis
ualize as our ideals.
Problem Of Finance
First has been her problem Of
and with 1t educate children where
they are-but to fair degree she has
accomplished it. To get sufficient
funds together to build proper
schools has been a problem, but in
this she has done well. When the
Great War closed, we had less than
ten million dollars invested in the
school property of Maine. Today, we
approach thirty millions. This means
that our larger villages and cities,
as well as our country places, have
been solving the housing problem.
By 1880. If Maine continues as she
has begun. 1t will be impossible to
find any group of children in Maine
who are not properly housed educa-
tionally and most of them in sani-
tary and attractive buildings. The
people deserve great credit for this
achievement.
1--WE have been struggling, too
with the trained teacher problem and
we are making Roadway. In one
year following the war, on account
of our low wages paid teachers
Maine lost twenty-five per cent. of
her prepared teachers to Massachu
sets. Connecticut and Rhode Island
We have been gradually overcoming
this tremendous loss. Wages are
somewhat better. Teachers are more
satisfied in Maine. The people have
recognized the problem. If we con-
tinue as we have been. If there is
no backward step and If the results
Of properly trained and successful
teachers are properly recognized in
adequate compensation, we shall by
1880 reach time when 1t will be
unnecessary for any group of chill
dren in Maine to be taught by teach
ers not technically prepared.
Have Kept to Essentials
I'VE have not wandered away from
the essentials. We have not gone
astray after fads and fancies. We
have tried to keep UP with the best
educational thought of the times, to
do reasonable amount of expert
menting and to hold fast to that
which is good. The children of our
schools are able to read and to write
and to cipher, to know geography and
history. If, with this, we can give
them some knowledge Of music and
a greater appreciation of art, IL we
can bring them in touch with ap-
Piled science, as well as with nat
ural science, we have not only full
FILED the mission of the school as to
thorouEhness in the essentials hut