The record-union., 1897-06-28

Pronunciation of the Report of
the Committee of Ten on Sec
ondary Education in This Coun-
try.
WASHINGTON, June 27.-The re-
port of the Committee on Rural Schools
sn the United States, appointed at the
convention of the National Education
al Association in July, 1895, has been
completed, and will be submitted at the
next annual gathering. 1t is one of
the most important documents on
school education that has appeared
since the PRONUNCIATION of the report of
ahe committee of ten on secondary edu-
cation in this country a couple of years
ago. The committee consists of Hen
Ty Sabin OF Iowa, D. L. Kfehle of Min
nesota, A. r. Poland of New York, c.
C. Rounds Of New Hampshire, j. H.
Phillips of Alabama, 3. A Hinsdale OF
Michigan, S. T. Black of California, w.
S. Sutton of Texas, I. f. Wolf of Mis-
souri,, United States Commissioner OF
Education Harris, l.. 3. Evans OF Geor-
ga and G. r. Skinner of New York. Inc
report discusses the rural school prob
lem in the different prospects Of school
maintenance, supervision. supply OF
teachers and instruction and discipline
Each of these subjects was in charge
of a subcommittee of three, their work
being reviewed by the entire commit
tee.
The report says that for purpose OF
organization, maintenance of supervis-
ion, nothing should be recognized. as
the unit smaller than the township of
the county The school district is the
most desirable unit possible. Effecting
this change wherever the district sys-
tenn prevails would conduce to effec-
tiveness and simplicity Of organization,
economy of the funds, equalization of
taxation and a system of supervision
which would produce better results.
All the committees favor the con-
solidation of schools which are too
small to employ profitably the time of
one teacher into larger schools, when
practicable, in order that better in
struction may be provided than is now
possible. Every community should be
induced TO raise a certain amount for
the support of its schools as pre-
requisite for receiving it's share OF
public money A certain definite sum
should be appropriated to each school
out of the State funds and the re-
1nainder should be divided in accord
ance with some fixed, established rule,
a discrimination being made in favor
of townships most willing to tax them
selves for school purposes. One of the
great hindrances of the improvement
of the rural school lies in its isolation
and it's inability to furnish to the pu-
pill that stimulative influence which
comes from contact with others of his
own age and advancement.
The committee, therefore, recon-
mends collecting pupils from smaller
schools into larger, and paying from
the public funds for their transporta-
ton. believing that in this way better
teachers can be provided, more ra-
1ional methods of instruction adopted,
and at the same time expenses of the
schools can be materially lessened.
There is a tendency to fill the rural
schools with unframed. immature
teachers The establishment of nor
NAL training schools, under competent
instructors, with short courses, each
year of which shall be complete in it
self, would do much to remedy this
evil. The extension and adjustment
of the courses and the terms of the
State normal schools so as TO constitute
q continuous session would enable
them to combine more directly 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 well 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
a 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.
The rural schools are suffering from
the want of official and intelligent su-
pervision. In every State some stand
ard of qualification, moral and intel
lectual. 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 man.
ners constitute an essential part of an
educational equipment The inculca-
ton of patriotism, of respect for law
and order, or whatever tends to make
a good citizen, is of as much impor-
tance in a small as in a large school.
Regularity, punctuality, obedience,
Industry, self-control are as necessary
in the country as in city schools. Coun-
try 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 st length. In con-
nection with school exercises at the
town or country center once or twice a
year. competitive examinations are
not recommended unless they are care
fully guarded. The feature of social
intercourse, the stimulus which comes
from meeting with ones mates. have
advantages which ought not to be neg
lected.
There is embodied an interesting re-
port urging negro teachers for negro
schools. II says the instructive edu-
cational advancement of the negro
must be from within and by the race
Itself, and not solely through extrane-