The Daily Alaska empire., 1940-03-31

eSSdfy u GlcdOiilCiieso AOA
 mentS.
 Correspondence Courses
 For several years the Commls- sioner of Education as well as mem- hers of the Territorial Board of Education have seen the need for the education of the many pupils in isolated places where there are not enough to establish a regular or special school. The Board made a recommendation to the last Leg islature that it appropriate the sum of $8.OOO to be used in purchasing correspondence courses, but the Senate struck the item from the appropriation bill which had passed the House.
 After the F schools had been of ficially turned over to the Office of Indian Affairs, consent was receiv- ed. from the Territorial Board of Education to use not to exceed S8,- 900 during the present biennlum for the purpose of purchasing cor respendence courses for children in isolated places and already courses have been purchased for many pu- pills.
 There would; no doubt, be many more pupils taking advantage of this means of securing an education but for the fact that a deposit fee Of $20 is being required for enroll ment. It was felt that unless some deposit fee was required many would request courses and make no effort to complete them. Under. the pres ent system the deposit insureS that parents and pupils will cooperate to complete the courses. When these courses are completed the deposit fee is returned to them.
 Course of Study
 For the past several years there has been a growing demand that course of study for the grades as well as for the high school be either revised or rewritten. In May 1888, arrangementS were made with Dr. J. c. Ryan of the University of AL aska to write new course of study for the grades and with the help of many superintendents and teach CTS this was completed during the late summer of 1889.
 The stencils Dr. Ryan's office had prepared for the course were sent to the office of Commissioner of Education where 300 copies were run off and have now been distributed to the several schools. This course of study replaces the one printed in 1926.
 As yet no start has been made in writing a new course of study for high schools, but it is hoped that arrangements will soon be made and a new course will be ready within two years.
 These then, are, we feel, the four major accomplishments of the De- partment of Education during the past few years; namely, vast school building program, cooperation of the Office of Indian Affairs, provision for correspondence courses, and completion of a new course of study for the grades.
 Needed Expansion
 We feel that the above work has not been completed. There are yet more buildings to be constructed, more schools that should be turned over to the Office of Indian Affairs, more publicity given people in iso- lated areas regarding correspond ence courses, and of course, the ele- mentary course of study will need to be revised from time to time
 In addition, it may be said that our Territorial schools are very poorly supervised. - No one person could give the proper supervision to the schools even though he gave his full time to it, and with the Office of Commissioner of Educa- ton operating on an administrative cost of less than 23 per cent of the funds the office is obligated to dis purse tthe average administrative cost in the Territorial offices is five per cent, and the Federal Govern ment allows from to 10 per cen) {, the Commissioner of Education must spend most of his time in the office
 To supervise our schools properly there should be at least three su- pervisors added, one for the First Division one for the Third Divis- ion and one for the Second and Fourth Divisions. These supervis- ors, in addition to supervising
 4 Modern