The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-07-01
REPORT ON RURAL SCHOOLS
StFINDINGS OF THE COMMITrEE OF
THE NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL
ASSOCIATION.
NEGRO TEACHERS FOR THE negro.
impossible for an Ideal Relation to
Exist Between White Teacher
and Black PupiI-SchOOI
District Evil.

Washington, June 27.-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 education
that has appeared since the PRONUNCIATION
of the. report of the committee of ten on
secondary education in this country a
couple of years ago. The report dis
"cusses the rural school problem in the diff
ferent aspects of school maintenance,
supervision, supply of teachers and in
struction and discipline. Each of
these subjects was in charge of a sub
stitute committee of three, their work
being reviewed by the entire committee.
The report says that for purposes of
organization, maintenance or super
vision nothing should be recognized as
the unit smaller than the township or
the county. The school district is the
most undesirable unit possible. Affect
ing this change wherever the district sys-
TEN prevails would cOnduce to effective
ness and simplicity of organization,
economy in funds, equalization of taxa
ton and to a system of supervision
which would produce better results. All
the substitute committee favor the con-
solidation of schools which are too small
snto employ profitably the time of one
ttacher into larger schools, when prac-
,rtable, in order that better instruction
.tffay be provided than is now possible.
Every community should be required to
raise certain sum for the support of its
schools as prerequisite for receiving its
share of public money. A certain def.
mite sum should be appropriated to each
school out of the state funds, and the
inn ha wiz in,
ance with some fixed and established
rule, discrimination being made in
favor of townships most willing to tax
themselves for school purposes.
One of the greatest hindrances to the
Improvement 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 COM
mittee, therefore, recommends collecting
pupils from small 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 of the schools can be materially
lessened.
There is a tendency to fill the rural
schools with unframed, immature teach
ers. The establishment of normal train
ing schools, under competent instructors,
with short courses. each year of which
shall be complete in itself, would dc
much to remedy this evil. The extern
sion and adjustment of the courses and
terms of the state normal schools so as
to constitute 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 demanding
|nsOme degree of professional training from
every teacher in the rural as well as in
the city schools.
prosecution of school extension by lee
lures and other means, the introduction
of such studies as will have tendency
to connect the school and the home, es-
pecially those having direct bearing
upon the everyday life of the COM
munity, and the necessity of applying the
laws of sanitation to the construction of
rural school houses, demand immediate
attention.
The rural schools are suffering from
the want of official and intelligent super
vision. In every state some standard of
qualifications, moral and intellectual,
with some amount of actual experience,
should be demanded by law from those
who aspire to fill the office of superin-
tendent or supervisor of schools.
Good morals and good manners consti-
tute an essential part of an educational
equipment. The incubation of patriot
ism, of respect for law and order, of
whatever tends to make good citizen, is
of as much Importance in a small as in
a larger school Regularity, punctuality,
obedience, industry, self-control, are as
necessary in the country as in the city
school. Country school teachers should
call to their aid the beautiful things of
nature.
Some important recommendations are
made as to instruction and discipline and
the evils of attempting to grade country
schools as city schools are graded are
set out at length. In connection with
school exercises at the town or county
center once or twice year, competitive
examinations are not recommended I'M
less they are carefully guarded. The
feature of social intercourse, The stimulus
which comes from meeting with ones
mates, has advantages which ought not
to be neglected.
There is embodied an interesting re-
port urging negro teachers for negro
schools. 1t says the instinct of the edu-
.cational development of the negro must
Xrom within and by the race itself and