The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-11
TIE RuRAL SCHOOL QUEsTIoN.

and elevation p. +. Lyons, Observer.
THE RURAL SCHOOL QUESTION.
The National Educational associa-
ton is to consider and discuss, at its
annual meeting next July, the problem
of the country school. rightly called
problem and certainly an unsolved
one All the trained educators OF the
country are to focus their experience
and wisdom upon it and try to find
means by which the manifest defects
may be remedied. These are summar-
lied by Prof. Kiehle as % schools Of
reasonable size continuous through the
year; % taught by teachers who are
properly trained and fitted; 90 super
vised by officers who are professionally
qualified to improve them, and "a sup
ported financially by fair distribution
of the tax upon state, county and dis
trict He invites discussion, investiga-
ton and study not only by educators,
but by oranges, farm Institutes and
agricultural papers"
BY virtue of its farm department in
hts weekly edition the G l o b assumes
itself invited among the agricultural
papers, but, if this is not a valid title,
it assumes the right to participate
without an invitation, venturing upon
1t with that difhdence that should ac-
company the share in technical discus
sions of one not skilled in the tech
nique. 1t sometimes happens, however,
that a better point of observation is
from the outside of the circle of ex-
perts, who are usually graduates in
and products of a system and can con-
ceive Of no radical departure from
their habitual environment. That the
rural school is a problem, that it has
serious defects along with superior pos
sibilities of advantage, and that it is
sacrificed to it's more pretentious rela-
tons are facts known to none so well
as those who received their primary
schooling in it and have had subse-
quent opportunities of comparison with
urban schools.
Against the great advantage Of coun-
try schools in their exemption from
grade methods, and overbalancing it,
must be set the short terms, the con-
slant change Of inadequately paid
teachers, rarely competent for their
work, and the false notions of economy
prevailing among the officers manag-
ing the schools. which lead them to
regard the teacher who will accept the
least wage as the desira BILE one to en-
gage Give to the district school the
advantages Of the city grade school, With
it's long term and competent teachers
continuously employed, and the former
would excel the latter in scholarship
solely because Of it's happy exemption
from the grade arrangements that
seem to be inseparable from the latter.
From the exoteric point of view it
looks as If the solution Of the problem
demands some radical changes in the
present status. First, there must be
constitutional amendment of that pro-
vision that makes any one having the
right of suffrage eligible to any cleo
tive Office, under which the supreme
court has held that a sovereign" who
never saw q law book is eligible to
the Office Of county attorney. The
county superintendent should be ap-
pointive; but, il elective, qualifications
for their duties should be required
Nominating conventions are the last
place where inquiry is made or consid-
GRAFTON given to whether candidates are
fitted to do the work of the Office they
aspire to, and superintendents form no
exception. Thus chosen they impart
partisan flavor to their work and have
one eye on the dear voter with the
other occasionally on the schools They
should be appointed solely for compe-
tency, removable for incompetency,
neglect or other sufficient cause. and
should no more be required to be res
ident of the county they serve than is
the officer OF any other state institu-
ton.
With the superintendent thus released
from the fear Of exciting opposition and
mourning defeat by doing his duty
feariessly and conscientiously, the pres
ent requirements for qualifications Of
teachers are sufficient, and the numer-
Gus normal schools are enough to fur
nish the supply. A further radical
change would be the extension Of the
authority of the city superintendent
to the county superintendent, of as
signing teachers to schools, thus al
lowing qualified officer instead of