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Show CsII a llzz Meeting cf Pcreixts. Public sentiment against the plan of the School Board to complete the school term by collecting tuition fees from those pupils who ar abje to pay them and barring from the public schools children whose parents are too poor to meet the assessment, has been increased by the delivery of circular letters .concerning the tuition scheme in every taxpayer's home in the city. There is ample cause for this outburst out-burst of public indignation, and things are ripe for a protest in the way of a mass meeting of parents, - Mrs. J. F. Piercey, who is deeply interested in the welfare of the school system, suggests such a plan. In a letter to The Telegram Mrs. Piercey says: "Would it not be a. good plan to call a meeting of those opposed to the present plan of raising funds . for th last month of school, so that it could be prevented? pre-vented? It is a sin and a shame to have such discrimination dis-crimination in school matters, for it means more to the poor child than it does to the rich one to lose that month's schooling, because the poor child may not be able to .go another year, while it, would make , no difference to the rich man's child. 1 And yet, as has been stated in The Telegram, about half of the expenses will be paid out of the. public funds. It surely cannot be legally done, for it takes no great amount of discernment to see that it is most unjust. I understand that there are many teachers also opposed op-posed 4o it, for it puts them in a very embarrassing position. I think , that the assistant teachers, as well as the principals and Janitors, should have a ten jnonths' contract with the Board of Education, but the money should not be raised at the expense of the poor man's child. Very many parents who are ' opposed to the proposed plan, will pay the money, so that their children will not be kept back for half a year. Xoiw, the last month of school does not, as I have noticed, have more than two weeks' regular school work, as the last two weeks are used for tests, gathering up of books and preparations for" the last day exercises. Then how is it that there wfll be so much accomplished in those two weeks at tbefag-end of the school year, when the child is tired out with his year's work, that it will take five months of his best energies to replace? It seems to me that 'no promotions this year or special promotions promo-tions next year' is being used as a sort of 'cats-paw' to frighten the parents into paying the required anioont. 5 am sincerely interested in school work, and -want -to see the schools continue for the full ten school months; and if an extra tax is necessary for it, let us have the tax; if it is economy that is needed, need-ed, let those in charge economize ; but let there be no discrimination. When the schools are closed to the poor let tbem not be open to the more favored ones." Mrs. Piercey strikes the keynote of the situation. Let there beno discrimination. The tuition plan is illegal and it is unjust. It must be abandoned. |