The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1897-07-02
Teachers
Will Be Especially Interested
In the Report Of the Com
mittee Of Twelve.

mittee OF Twelve.
The report of the committee of
twelve on rural schools in the
United States. appointed at the
convention of the National Edu-
cational Association in July.
1895, has been completed and
will be submitted at the next an
nual gathering. II is one OF the
most important documents on
school education that has APP
peared since the PRONUNCIATION
of the report of the committee of
ten on secondary education in
this country. a couple of years
ago. The committee consists OF
Henry Sabin, of Iowa: d. L.
Kiehle. of Minnesota; A. B. Pol
and, of New York; G. G. Rounds,
Of New Hampshire; j. 81. Phil.
lips. of Alabama: B. A. Binsdale,
Of Michigan; S. T. Black, of
California; VS.. Sutton. of Texas,
L. E. Wolf, of Missouri; United
States Commissioner of Educa-
ton Harris; L. B. Evans, Of
Georgia, and G. Il. Skinner. of
New York. The report discusses
the rural school problem in the
different aspects of school main
tenance, supervision, supply of
teachers and instruction and dis
! cipllne. Each of these objects
was in charge Of q subcommittee
of three, their work being re-
viewed by the entire committee.
The report says that for pur-
poses of organization, mainten-
ance and supervision, nothing
should be recognized as the unit
smaller than the township or the
county. The school district is
the most undesirable unit posi-
BILE. Effecting this change
wherever the district system
prevails would conduce to ef-
fectiveness and simplicity of
organization. economy in funds,
equalization of taxation and to a
system of supervision which
would produce better results.
All the sub. committees favor
the consolidation Of schools
which are too small to employ
proftably the time Of one teacher
in larger schools. when practical
BILE. in order that better instruc-
tlor might be provided than is
now possible Every commune
ty should be required to raise a
certain sum for the support of
its school as a 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 di.
vided in accordance with some
fixed and established rule, a dis
crimiation being made in favor
of townships most willing to tax
themselves for school purposes.
One of the great hindrances to
the improvement of the rural
school lies in its isolation and in
ability to furnish to the pupil
that stimulative influence which
comes from contact with others
of his own age and advancement.
The committee, therefore, rec
ommends 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 expense
of the schools can be materially
lessened.
There is a tendency to fill the
rural schools with unframed. i'm
mature teachers. The establish
ment of normal training schools.
under competent instructors with
short courses. would do much to
remedy this evil. The extension
and adjustment of the courses
and terms of the State normal
schools so as to constitute con-
tinuous session would enable
them TO contribute more directly
than now to the Improvement of
the teachers of rural schools.
~. Co., o,,ld @hon ha ;oefiEad