The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-10-03

second grade certificates. Nearly all
have attended somewhere during the
year summer school for teachers.
Teachers training schools do much
towards helping the rural schools. So
far as l am able to observe the best
elements of our teaching force attend
ed teachers training school. To en-
courage such attendance, all first and
second grade certificates we're extend
ed without examination, on presenta
tion of a certificate from the conduct
or of the summer training school,
showing that the holder was neither
tardy or absent and had attended full
time.
NUMBER OF MONTHS OF SCHOOL FOR EACH
DISTRICT.
Not much improvement has been
made with districts which still vote
five months OF school. It would seem
that in the latter end of this 10Th centu-
ry and in fairly well settled township
that any school loving man would fa-
vor more than five months of school
during the year. The time is too short
to do good work and our better teach
ers can hardly be expected to engage
such schools when other districts offer
at last eight months of service. The
whole number of months voted by
each district for school year of '95 and
'96 is as follows: Eleven districts
voted nine months for the year; twen-
ty-five districts voted eight months;
twentythree districts voted seven
months; twenty districts voted six
months; nine districts voted five
months. This gives an average for each
school of 4 months.
COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
The improvement for the year is
very gratifying. Year before last we
had enrolled in the schools of this
county 3,z47 pupils. There were of
this number 2,2l8 between the ages of
eight and sixteen years. The law says
that all such children must attend at
least 60 days during the year and six
weeks of which shall be in succession.
But notwithstanding law and liability
of fine, etc, less than 70 per cent at
tended the required time. This year
we had an enrolment of 3,7O3 pupils,
of which number 1874 are between
eight and sixteen years of age. 1851
however, attended the necessary sixty
days or over rs per cent. This is the
highest per cent. mark ever obtained
for the eight to sixteen years division
of school children. The law is ipef-
fective. No one wants to complain of
his neighbor. Give the children good
teachers and sufficient months of
school and somehow the children will
attend more than 60 days.
PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
Not much improvement over one
year ago has taken place. About one
half our districts have furnished the
schools with fair Libraries. Nearly all
the libraries are now to be found in
the schoolhouses, especially during
the term of school. This plan works
very nicely. The teacher must very
largely direct the reading of the pu-
pills. She keeps the records and is in
reality the librarian. Many of the IL
braries need additional books, especial
ly of the primary and intermediate
grades. Many of the books are too
difficult. Could not the State devise
a more juvenile list, which would more
fully meet the requirements of third
and fourth reader grades? So many
| of our homes even now are poorly sup
piled with good reading for children.
Mention must be made of the noble
work done by school trustees. / have
in mind how some school clerks have
made good catalogues of the libraries
and who have personally conferred
with teachers and other friends of ed
ucation for the purpose of betteriug
the library and circulating the books.
Under the new law each schoolhouse
in each district is considered as sep
arate district and each district is enti-
tied to aid accordingly. This will give
districts having two aud three school
houses a large library for small per-
sonal outlay. The law has also been
amended relative to subsequent or
ders. Heretofore districts received
but five dollars aid, now they receive
ten dollars for each subsequent order.