Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-01-08
POPULAR EDUCATION.

POPULAR EDUCATION.
Synopsis of the Report of the Educational
Committee of the State Grange.
The report made by the educational
committee of the State Grange contains
some points well worthy consideration
Statistics examined by the committee
some years ago showed that of the chill
dren attending the common schools in
Kansas, 50 per cent are of the agri-
cultural class and that of NIL industrial
classes they constitute IS per cent The
average school period is but five and
one-half years, of six months each year,
or of thirty-three months schooling al
together. The schools are defective in
their course of study and In the qualifi-
cations for teachers OF the youth of
the agricultural class, but one in every
600 reaches the Agricultural College
The report suggests that there should
come out of the largely endowed agri-
cultural colleges, maintained by the
Government in every State in the Union,
improved courses and methods of in
struction which should. raise the coun-
try district schools up to something like
the improved condition of our city
schools: that conductors of the agri-
cultural colleges should devise systems
of manual training and of object lessons
and of studies in the natural sciences
which should be made to reach the
children of every school district As
model institutions for the education of
farmers the colleges should devise plans
OF instruction for the primary schools
of the farmer which should meet the
demand for the better education of
farmers children in their home schools
The agricultural course nov so well
matured for the instruction of students
within college walls and on the college
grounds should naturally suggest I'M
proved courses of instruction for the
district schools: taking up kindergar-
ten manual training and analogous
methods and adapting them to instruc-
ton in all grades, from the lowest to
the highest.
The scheme should include industrial
drawing, the elements OF the natural
sciences, botany, zoology, geology and
kindred subjects, and such manual
practice with pen. pencil. blackboard
and modelling materials, and such use
OF the common hand tools as would eff
feet trainingot the mind through the
training of the eye and of the hand.
This course OF study should not be con-
fined to the school room, but should eN-
tend to the field, orchard, forrest and
neighborhood. By observation, reading
and study it should go to explain the
things in nature and in common life by
which country school children are sur
rounded. 1t should teach something OF
the physics of farm and domestic ma
chinery and of modern appliances, and
something of kitchen chemistry and
household economy. Landscape, veg
eeable. fruit and floral gardening should
pertain to the district scool grounds as
well as to the agricultural college
grounds. A library of technical books,
and a cabinet of scientific objects and OF
scientific apparatus, should be placed IN
the district school room as well as the
Agricultural College library and recita-
ton rooms.
This method carried into the district
school would easily and naturally be
made to diversity school studies in the
usual common school branches: in which
instruction should be made thoroughly
practical in the use of mum berS in arith-
metical calculations involving all com
mon affairs OF business: and III the use
of language in written and in oral ex-
PLANTATION and description; and by IA
tional methods in the study of geog-
raphy and in the mapping and describ-
ing of the country and all localities.
Thus it is suggested that the a gricult-
ural College should become an agricult-
ura1 normal school; that it should be a
school where should be educated and
qualified as instructors young men and
young women who shall go out to all
| counties in the State to inaugurate, to
superintend and to carry forward the
! line of education Indicated The Agri
cultural College normal graduate, prop
| erly educated for this work, would be
| qualified for county normal institute in
| structor. He would be qualified to fl
| the important office of county superin
| tendent. He would be qualified to visit
| the school districts, to aid and instruct
| the teacher, to instruct and stimulate
| the pupils. With maps, charts and
scientific apparatus he would be pre-
pared TO give instruction to all classes
including the adult population. in then
| clubs, oranges. alliances and other as
semblages. Thus the whole people
would become enlisted in this forward
movement for the enlightenment ana
elevation OF the agricultural class
The report suggests that the Stat'
! Constitution should be so amended tina
the Office of county superintendent b'
made appointive, instead of elective, a
now: and that no one should be ap
pointed to the Office except upon certif
cate of qualification, from the Stat
Board of Education or some other com
petent authority. The force of tn
county superintendency should be mor'
than double what it now is To NEE
the increased expenses of superintend
ency and other measures of reform, tn
common school resources should hay
restored to them what was taken ava,
by the repeal of the one mill tax FO
eighteen years, from 1851 to 1879 tn
taxable property of the State con
tributed a tax of one mill for the supper
of common schools In 1879 the Legis
lature was induced to cut off this tax
Let it be restored and it would yield, a
the present valuation of the property O
the State, sum In addition to the pres
emit common school funds, of more tina
$500, 600. This would defray the ez
penses of the needed reform
The elevation of the standard of edr
| cation in our common schools woul