The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-11-13
LITTLE WHITE SCHOOLS.
What the Common Schools Of Lake
County are Doing-supervision,
Teaching and Enrolment Of
High Order.

In writing up the public and state
schools OF Madison we have not yet
noticed all the opportunities Of the
young people to get an education. A
private kindergarten is conducted by
Miss Martha Cleveland in the Episcopal
rectory which has an attendance Of six
teen or eighteen pupils and the benefit
derived by the little ones is giving entire
satisfaction to the parents. OF the rs OF
more pupils who attend this and the
Model school of the Normal, a portion
of them, say one-third, are below school
age, but the balance, SO or more, are
properly school children, and added to
the number in our public schools will
show that nearly every child of school
age in Madison is attending school
somewhere. This is as it should be and
is very creditable to the parents OF the
city.
And while we are on this subject OF
school work we cannot refrain from
noting some points of excellence in the
common schools Of our county, really the
foundation and bulwark OF our entire
educational system. 1t is not to be ex-
pected that in this new country as flat
tering a presentation Of common school
work can be shown as would be the case
in older states, and yet the provision
made for schooling right here in Lake
county is something marvellous. Already
there are 78 schools in the county out
side of two departments at Winfred,
Wentworth and the Madison schools.
BY the last census there were l,e43 chill
dren of school age in the county and
1853 of these were enrolled in the
schools during the year. This speaks
volumes for the interest and intelligence
of our people in educational work, and
were the school provisions not general
il distribution no such percentage of
children could attend.
All the districts have not less than six
months school a year, a wise provision
of our state law requiring that length OF
time to entitle them to state money, but
some districts have even more than this
AS a rule the school houses are in good
condition and we'll supplied with maps
charts and other apparatus. A uni
formity of text books prevails and a sys
tenn of grading has been Introduce anc
carried out to a considerable extent, thu
object being to have scholars pass
through "a prescribed course Of study
and graduate at the end. In this matter
Supt. Dougherty and his teachers ar
taking. especial interest this year. A
scholar graduating up to the require
ments Of this State Course Of Stud,
would be prepared to enter the Norma
school course. Supt. Dougherty is zeal
GUS in his work of supervision and desire
to elevate the standing Of the schools by
special requirements in fitness OF botf
teachers and scholars. The teachers, al
a rule, though younger in years than the
same class in older states, are a brigh'
and progressive class of workers. Man,
Of them have taken partial courses IL
Normal training and several are gradu
ates OF the Normal school. These com
, ing in contact with the body Of teacher
in county Institutes and gatherings o
teachers have a direct influence in rails
ing the standard of all and adding dig
} nifty to the work of teacher. We ques
tion if a county in the state is getting
better school work than is now being
done by Supt. Dougherty and his teach
ers in Lake county.