The herald., 1897-06-28

der that better instruction may be pro-
vided than is now possible. Every COM
munity should be induced to raise a GER
tain amount for the support of its
schools as prerequisite for receiving
its share of public money. A certain
definite sum should be appropriated to
each school out of the state funds and
the remainder should be divided in ac-
cordance with some fixed established
rule, a Discrimination being made in
favor of townships most willing to tax
themselves for school purposes.
One Of the great hindrances to the i'm
provement of the rural school lies in its
isolation and its inability to furnish to
the pupil that stimulative influence
which comes from contact with others
of his own age and advancement. The
committee therefore recommends COL
lecting pupils from smaller schools into
larger and paying from the public funds
for their transportation, believing that
in this way better teachers can be pro-
vided, more rational methods of instruc-
tion adopted and at the same time ex
penses Of the schools can be materially
lessened. There is tendency to fill the
rural schools with unframed, imma
ture teachers. The establishment of
normal training schools, under compe-
tent instructors, with short courses, each
year of which shall be complete In ITSELF
would do much to remedy this evil. The
extension and adjustment Of the courses
and terms Of the state normal schools 80
as to constitute a continuous session
would enable them to combine more di-
rectly than now to the Improvement of
teachers Of rural schools The state
would then be justified in demanding
some degree Of personal training from
every teacher in the rural as we'll as in
the city schools.
The establishment Of libraries, the
prosecution of the work Of school ex-
tension by lectures and other means, the
introduction Of such studies as will have
a tendency to connect the school and
the home, especially those having
direct bearing upon the everyday life Of
the community and the necessity Of
applying the laws Of sanitation to the
construction of rural schoolhouses de-
mand immediate attention.
Z. The rural schools are suffering from
the want of intelligent supervision. In
every state some standard Of qualifica
ton, moral and intellectual, with some
amount of actual experience should be
demanded by law from those who aspire
to fill the offices OF superintendent or
supervisor of schools.
Good morals and good manners con-
stitute an essential part of an educa :
tional equipment. The incubation of
patriotism, of respect for law and order,
Of whatever tends to make good citi-
zen, Is Of as much Importance in small
as in a large school. Regularity, pune
tuality, obedience, industry, self-con-
troll are as necessary in the country as in
city schools. Country school teachers
need to call to their aid the beautiful
things in nature.
Some important recommendations are
made as to instruction and discipline
and the evils of attempting to grade
rural schools as the city schools are
graded, are set out at length. In con-
nection with school exercises at the
town or county center, once or twice
year, competitive examinations are not
recommended unless they are carefully
guarded. The feature of social inter-
course, the stimulus which comes from
meeting with ones mates, have ad-
vantages which ought not be neglected.
There is embodied an interesting re-
port urging negro teachers for negro