Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-07-18
THE COUNTRY SCHOOL
a Few Words with Members of Rural
Boards of Education.


Boards of Education.
Taxes are high, as we know by ex-
perience and by reiterated claims Of
all tax payers, and sensible men are
agreed that there should be no useless
expenditure of public money; but in
the matter of education, we cannot af-
ford to make show of reducing ex-
pense unless it can be done without
hurting the school. There is an abun-
dance of teachers, but the number of
those capable of doing good work is
limited, and they can usually get higher
wages than the average. The possess
sion of certificate by person is no
proof of ability to develop the think
ing powers of children, and many have
failed to realize this fact. A profitable
school must have a teacher skilled by
nature or art in bringing out the best
work of scholars, and such teacher is
not low-priced one. AS with mer-
chandise, so with teachers-the best in
usually the cheapest.
The health and well-being of chill
dren require that schoolrooms be
lighted and ventilated properly. Over
health among the young; impure air,
cold floors and damp feet are most fre-
quen tcauses. Eyesight is rarely injured
by hard study or reading when the
light and position of book are all right.
Unnecessary straining of eyes does the
major portion of the mischief. School
authorities are morally bound to pro-
vide against these too common ills Of
village and country schools by provid-
ing rooms fit for scholars. The econ
omy that is exercised at the expense of
health and eyesight is utterly false,
impoverishing a community. Many
parents are careless in matters of
health at home, but the children of all
should be protected in our schoolrooms.
There is place for economy in
management in many communities. I
refer to the money paid to agents for
schoolroom supplies Of all the idle
expenditure of public money, none is
more senseless than about half that in
vested in high-priced maps, charts and
other apparatus for common schools.
Persistent agents, using influences of
every character when possible, are
frequently found placing their goods
at an enormous price in schools that
never use them. Sometimes the board
is only ignorant of the needs of the
school, frankly admitting it, and makes
the purchase through desire to help
the school. Some times it is well known
that the agent has used financial ar
guments. l write only of the many,
very many unused and useless supplies
found stored in country schoolhouses.
For the purchase of needed maps,
charts, books of reference, ETC., GER
tainly have naught but praise; but
boards with limited means at their
disposal do we'll to make small invest
ment in such supplies until trust
worthy teachers find them a necessity.
Better use the extra money In better
teachers and better school-grounds, and
buy nothing upon the representa- tions
of agents. AS rule, teacher VINO is
capable and has the public confidence
is the best judge of the actual require
ments of the school, and such teacher
rarely urges investment in many high
priced aids to study in the common
schools. Such as are gotten are
standard, and not the novelties of elo-
quent agents.
Country or village schools of sixty
scholars should usually have two rooms
and two teachers, and when there are
established and a regular course of
study adopted Classical ion and the
passing from grade to grade by merit
inspire pupils to better work. The last
few weeks of school are not adrag, but
are filed with the best work of the
year in the attempt to make sure that
examinations will be passed safely and
the next grade entered with credit.
The course of study should pave the
way to graduation at the end, and the
number of years necessary should be
known. 1t costs little to print few
hundred copies of the course of study,
and it is well to print the general reg
ulations of the board. This informa-
ton is needed by parents and students,
and is helpful to school and teachers.
Good teachers should be kept, when
possible, even if an equally good teach
err may be hired at little less money.
Knowledge of individual scholars ena-
bles the old teacher to accomplish more
than a new one can do. Personal
friendships should have no place in IN
fuencing the selection of teacher;
boards are not elected to serve private
ends. The teacher should be such
one as any careful parent would choose
as an associate, and, in large extent, a
pattern for his child. The child is
taught to look up to it's teacher; the
teacher should be one to be initiated.
He should not exert any influence
counter to those things reverenced by
the parents whose taxes support him
and whose children are taught to re-
spect him. Good educational facilities
for all furnish a socialism in fact more
effective than that demanded by our
dreamers and anarchists. -Alva Agee,
in Country Gentleman.
The "Churnability" of Cream
It'll = III 4 -