The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1893-10-12
ENFORCE IT OR REPEAL IT.
Supt. Race Reports 633 Children
Shy on the Compulsory School
Law.
His Annual Report Full of Sharp
Points and Words of Encour-
agement.
REDWOOD FALLS, Oct. 2. 1898,

REDwooD FALLS, Oct. 2. 1898.
W. w. PENDEReAsr, State Superin-
tendent t-MY/DEAR SIR:-Herewith I
hand You my seventh annual report of
the condition of Redwood county
schools. Quite a number of changes
have taken place. The enrolment ov-
er last year is larger. This year we
have 1868 pupils, of which 1883 are
entitled to apportionment or trife
over 20 per cent. Last year it was
hardly that. We have 2.O37 pupils
between 8 and l6 years of age, and
who are required by law to attend
school 60 days, 80 of which must be in
succession. Yet I am fee to say on:
" 1,44 of 2,O37 met the legal require
ments and attended 60 or more days
during the year. Last year the whole
number of months for each district
was more than the preceding year and
| had hoped that the compulsory law
would have been better carried out.
We have not raised the per cent over
one year ago, but it has fallen. It has
fallen into tie same limbo of forget
fulness that has overtaken it in other
counties. Yet special efforts by teach
ers and myself have been made to in
duce more regular attendance of pu-
pills between 8 and 16 years of age.
SCHOOL YEAR OF 1893 -'94.
| am glad to say that this county
has made an additional stride in that
direction over the school year of '92
and '93. The report shows an average
of over seven months for every dis
trict in the county. 1t is as follows:
| Twelve districts are to have nine
months each; twenty-one are to have
eight months; twenty -four are to have
seven. months; fifteen are to have six
months, and but nine are to have five
months each-the minimum amount
allowed by law.
/ TEACHERS QUALIFICATIONS AND SALARY.
| am pleased to say that much has
been accomplished along this line ov-
er four years ago. We have now a
working corps of teachers numbering
as high as seventy and supply of
ten, making in all eighty. We have
but eleven third grade certificates in
actual force to date. The balance hold
first and second grades. There has
been and is now kept before the teach
er teachers preparation. A real
study of teachers work and school
room methods. This must be SO as
long as the average school room work
er has no professional preparation be-
fore attempting to teach. The report
shows that twenty have had Normal
school preparations and forty-six have
had High school training. I have per-
sistently insisted for over five years
that certain standard of scholarship
must be had before anyone can sue
cessfully teach school. Now and then
some school officer or some other in
terested friend trys to show that this
is not true-that nearly any one can
teach. l admit that occasionally some
girl who is even graduate of High
or Normal school is not Solon of
/, wisdom and judgment; but they rare
" ever sink erroneous teaching SO
deep that several terms by an ac-
complished teacher are necessary to
undo the wrong of the cheap teacher.
Last year the average wages for males
was $3.50, and for females $3.50.
This does not include the district of
Redwood Falls, WHICH is special one.
; A very large body of our school of6c-
ers are very willing to pay for success
full and we'll qualified teachers.
SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
]. We now have forty-two schools sup
piled with libraries. We did not be-
wer.-Latest u. S. Govt Report.