The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-01-23
AGRICULTURAL.
Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.
COUNTRY VS.. CITY SCHOOLS.


the city folks disposition, born of self
satisfaction, to bestow rather patron
izing regard for our country cousins.
This is especially noticeable in COM
parative estimates of excellencies in
educational facilities. 1t has become
quite the custom to look upon the dis
trict school as not on level with the
city counterpart. In an address deliv-
cred before the rural teachers round
table President Seerley, of ;" the Iowa
State Normal School, has taken occa-
sion to equalize matters in some meas
sure.
In the opinion of President Seerley
there is entirely too much sympathy ex-
pressed for the country school pupil and
country school teacher. They do not
need it, as they more than hold their
own with their city cousins when they
are tested in after life by the results
they accomplish. 1t is too common to
infer that school to be good must be
organized on some professionally ap-
proved method. The graded school
would be one of the poorest schools on
earth if being graded was all that rec
commended it to public favor. The
school that really needs sympathy to-
day is the school, where all the evils of
bad schools are exaggerated, where
system runs mad, where fOllies and fads
prosper and where abuses are heaped
upon one another without end. The
spending of money, such as is common
in city work, is not indicative either of
excellent schools, as many are inclined
to suppose. Schools can be managed
economically and yet be good.
Prof. Seerley holds that there is nc
such thing as separate, distinct prob
lem for country schools. They are just
like other schools. They must have
good teachers, good schoolrooms, good
heating and ventilation, good libraries,
| good interest, good attendance and
| good cooperation of the people. Good
work is always possible when these
things exist, whenever the school i.
| located. There are also things about g
country school such as freedom, sponta
neity, nature, chance to learn to work
with the hands that no city school en-
joys, and these are great advantages
that are too frequently disregarded a.
important. Many months to a schoo
year dees not insure that a child's in,
toroStc houo hoor oopCul+ad No ,,,pi1 !
fairly treated, in any good school, need.
as many months in consective years tt
satisfactorily complete an elementary
education as is now generally required
by many well-organized schools. There
are great evils in the many months O.
confinement and indoor study, the great
and continuous pressure entailed by the
Isystem imposed, the perfect attendance
$50 much exploited, which is generally
at the expense of health, vitality ani
Happiness, the constant drills so muct
emphasized, and the exhaustive test.
deemed SO essential to maintain al
assumed ideal standard. There can bt
no better school than the country schOO
if there are good surroundings, gooi
teachers, good spirit and good prosper
ity at home. 1t has the actual condition:
that should make good school pos
sibility.
An investigation of the men and wo
men of prominence and success in al
the different lines, President Seerle,
finds, will not discredit the countr,
schools product. 1t can challenge com
parison and stand the test. The coun
try school has suffered much by beins
talked down by well-meaning educators
| by being held up to ridicule by thos,
who ought to know better. So much i
this done at Institutes and educationa
gatherings that even good teachers arr
beginning to shun these schools and ar,
ashamed to be found working in them
since they recognize that their work i
despised and their field of labor con
demned. There is certainly need for
great change in this respect. Thes,
schools need encouragement rather
than reputation. They need construc
tive assistance, not destructive criti
cism. They need optimism, not pes
Isimism. They have a right to sym
pathetic treatment, not fault-fnding
abuse. Progress and Improvements car
never come with such a system of man
lagement. Things can never be made
better by such reckless method. L
is un-American and expensive to decry
the very school where the majority o
the people must be educated.
| President Seerley declares that it i.
time to call halt and undertake new
way of making things more practica
and successful than that prevailing tn,
last ten years. The country schoolbo.
is the college boy of today. He is there
because he wants to be there. He ha
pluck and courage, physique and capa
bility, endurance and working power
The ranks of power are recruited from
his battalions because he can stand VI
and be counted everywhere that mel
are wanted, The country sehOolbO.
IadaDts means to ends, acquires habit