The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-06-28
RURAL SCHOOLS.
DOCUMENT BEAR
ING ON EDUCATION.
R Recommendation Made as to In
struction and Discipline-Evils of
Attempts to Grade Them.

Washington. June 27.-The report of the
| committee of II on rural schools in the
| United States. appointed at the conven.
ton of the National Educational associa-
| ton in July, 1885, has been completed and
| VIII be submitted at the next annual
gathering. 1t is one of the most import
ant documents on school education that
! has appeared since the pTomulgatio OF
! the report of the committee of ten on Sec
ondary education in this country. a
! sists of Henry Sabin of Iowa. d. A Lehle
! of Minnesota. A. Pond of New York, c. 4.
Rounds of New Hampshire. J. H. Phillips
! of Alabama, B. A. Hinsdale of Michigan.
s T. Black of California. w. S. Sutton of
Texas. !. L. Wolf of Missouri United
States Commissioner of Education Har-
ris. L. B. Evans of Georgia and G. r.
cusses the rural school problem in the DIFF
ferent prospects of school maintenance
! supervision. supply of teachers and in
struction and discipline. Each of these
subjects was in charge of a sub-cOmmit-
tee of three, their work being reviewed by
the entire committee.
The reports say that for purpose of or
ganization. maintainence and supervision.
nothing should be recognized as the unit
smaller than the township or the county
The school district is the most desirable
unit possible. Effecting this change
wherever the district system prevails
would conduce to effectiveness and sim
plicity of organization; economy of the
funds, equalization of taxation and a sys-
TEN of supervision which would produce
better results.
All the subcommittee favor the con-
Solidation OF schools which are too small
to employ 9-ofitably the time of one
teacher into larger schools when prac-
tica Bile in order that better Instruction
may be provided than is now possible.
Every community should be induced to
raise certain amount of the support of
its schools as prerequisite for receiving
It's share OF public money. A certain def
mite sum should be appropriated TO each
school out of the state funds and the re-
mainder should be divided in accordance
with some fixed established rule. a dis
elimination being made in favor of town
ships most willing to tax themselves for
school PURPOSES
One of the greatest hindrances of the
Improvement of the rural school les in
its isolation and its inability to furnish
to the pupil that stimuiative influence
which comes from contact with others of
his own age and advancement. The COM
mittee, therefore. recommends collecting
pupils from smaller schools into larger
and paying from the public funds for
their transportation, believing that in this
way better teachers can be provided. more
rational methods of Instructions and at
the same time the expense of the school
can be materially lassened. There is a
tendency to fill the rural schools with IN
trained immature teachers. The estab-
lishment of normal training schools. IN
DER competent instructors with short
courses. each year of which shall be COM
plete in itself. would do much to remedy
TINS evil The extension and adjustment
OF the courses and terms of the state nor
NAL schools so as to constitute A con-
tinuouS session would enable them TO con-
tribute more directly than now n tho I'm,
provement of the teachers of rural
schools. The state would then be hustled
IN demanding some degree of professional
training from every teacher in the S1ral
as well as in the city schools
The establishment of libraries the pre-
sentation of works of school extension nv
lecture ana other means. the Introduction
OF such studies as will have tendency to
connect the school and the home espe-
cially those having a direct bearing upon
the everyday life of the community. and
the necessity of applying the laws of
school houses demand immediate atten-
ton.
The rural schools are suffering from the
want of official and intelligent supervi-
sion. In every state some standard of
moral and Intellectual with
some amount of actual experience should
be made by law from those who aspire
TO NIL the office of superintendent or su-
oe-risor of schools.
Good morals and good manners consti- I
tute an essential part of an educational
equipment The incubation of patriotism
Of respect for law and order of whatever
tends TO make a good citizen. is of as
much Importance in a small as larger |
school. Regularity, punctuality. obedi- |
ence, industry, self-control. are as necss- !
sary in the country as in the city school, |
Country school teachers should call to
their aid the beautiful things in nature
Some important recommendations are
made as to instruction dsdscipline and /
the evils of attempting to grade rural
schools as the city schools are graded are /
set out at length. In connection with I
school exercises at the town or county !
center, once or twice year. competitive ]
examinations are not recommended unless I
tHey are carefully guarded. The feature I
IF social intercourse, the stimulus which /
comes from meeting with ones mate have I
advantages which ought not TO be neg
ected.
There is embodied an interesting report /
Urging negro teachers for negro schools. !
K says the instinct of the educational de- /
-elcoment OF the negro must be from 4
within and by the race itself. and not |
solely through extraneous agencies; but /
he intellectual and moral dependence of /
he race must not be perpetuated: and |
he responsibility OF teaching mis- own |
ace furnishes incentives and means for .
ace elevation. The conclusion reached is
hat the instinct of race identity renders i