Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-06-28
COUNTRY SCHOOLS
Report on Their Organization and
Management.

Report on neIT organization and
Management.
VIEWS OF EDUCATIONAL EXPERTS
That Will BE Submitted to the National
observation-disclosures for the More
Emcient Operation Of the schools in tho
Rural Districts-senator Pettigrew Has
an Unpleasant Expsricnce-Loses His
Voice While Speaking ON the Tariff.
Washington, June 2S.-The report Of
The committee Of twelve on rural schools
IN the United States, appointed at the
convention Of the National Educational
association in July, 1895. has been COM
pleted and will be submitted at the next
annual gathering. 1t is one of the most
important documents on school educa.
ton that has appeared since the promul-
cation OF the report OF the committee of
ten ON secondary education in this coun-
try couple Of years ago. The commit
tee consists Of Henry Sabin. Of Iowa;
d. L. kiehle. q Minnesota: A. B. Po-
land. OF New York: c. c. Rounds, Of
New Hampshire; J. H. Phillips, of Ala
barn2: j. A. Hinsdale. Of Michigan; s.
T. Black. Of California; w. s. Sutton, Of
Texas; L. Z. Wolf, Of Missouri; United
States Commissioner q Education Bar-
hs; l.. b. Evans Of Georgia, and c. r.
Skinner. OF New York. The report dis
cnsses the rural school problem in the
different aspects Of school maintenance,
supervision. supply a teachers, and In
struction and discipline.
No Unit Smaller Than Township.
The report says ri,at for purposes Of
organization, maintenance or supervis-
Ion nothing should DO recognized as the
unit smaller than the township or the
county. The school district is the most
undesirable unit possible. Effecting
this change wherever the district system
prevails would conduce to effectiveness
and simplicity Of organization, economy
In funds. equalization OF taxation and
to system OF supervision which would
produce better results The report ia
vors the consolidation OF schools which
are too small to employ protitabIy the
time Of one teacher into larger schools,
when practicable.
Should Help support the schools.
Every community should be Induced
Its schools as prerequisite for receiving
Its shara 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-
crdance with some fixeGiiard established
rule, discrimination being made in IA
vor OF townships most willing to tax
themselves for school purposes the
committee 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 instruction
adopted. and at the same time the ex-
pense 81 the schools can be materially
lessened.
As to the Training oGTeacherS.
There Is tendency to fill the rural
schools with unframed, immature
teachera The establishment OF normal
training SCHOOLS under competent in
strucfors. with short courses. each year
OF which shall be complete in Itself.
would DO much 20 remedy thieA evil The
extension ana adjustment Of tbs courses
and terms OF the state normal schools
30 as to constitute q continuous session
would enable them to contribute more
directly than now to the Improvement
OF the teachers OF rural schools The
state would then be justified in.demand-
ing some degree Of professional training
from every teacher in the rural as we'll
as in the city schools
Need of Intelisgena Supervision.
The rural schools are suffering from
the want OF official. and intelligent SUI
pervision. In every'state some standard
OF qualifications. nsorai and intellectual.
with some amount OF actual experience.
should be demanded by law from those
who aspire to ill the Office ,of supertn-
tendent or supervisor OF schools Good
morals and good manners constitute an
essential part OF an educational equip
ment. The incubation Of patriotism, Of
respect for law ard order. OF whatever
tends to make good citizen, is OF as
much importancedn small as In a iarg-
er school, Some important recommen-
cations 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.
Report ON Negro Education.
There is embodied an Interesting report
urging negro teachers for negro schools.
It says the instinct OF the educational
development Of the negro must be from
within and by the race itself. and not
solely through extraneous agencies;
that the Intellectual and moral depend
ence OF the race must not be perpetuated;
and that the responsibility OF teaching
his own race furnishes incentives and
means for race elevation. The conciu-
sion reached IL that the instinct OF race
Identity renders impossible the reaiixa-
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