Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-03-07
A MATTER WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION.
Some of the Pressing Needs Of Our City Schools
Contributed Article that Should Elicit Careful
and Respectful Attention.

One of the first duties of a nation or
municipality that desires to progress
to provide ample educational opport y
mites for the children Viroqua has Al.
ways been progressive city aud its citi-
zens are public spirited. Matters have,
however, drifted from bad to worse in
various ways Ii has been thought that
more people can be reached through
few articles in our city papers that could
possibly be seen and talked with per-
sonally.
Many of our citizens Were much
aroused when--for some reason not clear
to all, if any-our high school was
dropped from the accredited list Of
the state university. There was doubt
less, reason for that action and it did
not come without muttered warnings;
but the fault did not lie altogether with
the high school or its teachers There
was lack all along the line and no one
school or one teacher was responsible
| for the state of affairs. That mistakes
have been made in the past in the selec-
| ton of teachers, and that such mistakes
are made everywhere and will be made
again is an undisputable fact.
The state examiner and the univer-
sity examiners have repeatedly COM
planned of lack of enthusiasm and
proper spirit of work in our schools.
That they are mistaken is easy to as
sert; but are they No; they are un-
doubtedly correct in their diagnosis of
the case. Now, if they are right, how
can we explain that lack of desire TO
work-that lack of enthusiasm which is
so necessary to all successful work9
Can it be that the children of Viroqua
are indolent and not desirous of learn
ingg We do not believe it. Not a pa
rent in this city will admit such a state
ment as true. Where, then, is the
trouble2
Suppose some day, when yor. have
task to perform, that you shut yourself
into tight, overheated roor !, where
the ventilation is such that you have
! scarcely one good breath in twenty and
| the light is less than one-fourth what it
should be for your work Do you think
yon would spend six hours there, day
| after day, and still have much enthusi-
| asm for work?
More than two hundred Viroqua chill
dren are working in rooms where the
| light is not more than a third or fourth
what it should be, and the ventilation is
so poor that the air Is vitiated in five or
six minutes. In one grade. where the
| floor space is sufficient for thirty chill
| dren and the light one-fourth what 1t
| should be, more than fifty children are
crowded Tender babes - the mothers
! youngest darlings-are herel But they
are scarcely worse off than the succeed
| ing grades Thu First and Fifth are the
rlost deficient in nght--all are crowded
Ill Nt.s. nj fIat
| These statements apply to the stone
| building; but the uther is not to be con-
sidered perfect The Seventh grade has
light and floor space sufficient for the
pupils, but lacks, also, in ventilation,
while the Ciehth grade has sufficient
| floor space, one-half light and deficient
ventilasions The high school has much
more deficient light than the Eighth
grade and is lacking, also, in floor space.
No proper system of ventilation for
such rooms can be had with the present
system of heating In short. Viroqua
children have reason to lack enthusiasm,
| for enthusiasm needs light, air, and room
| in which to thrive. Is it not time we
made proper provision for these chill.
! drenl Can Viroqua afford to let this
/ tate of affairs continued 1t is useless
| to employ good teachers and provide
books and scientific apparatus unless we
! first provide room for the children, air
/ for their lungs and light sufficient for
their work,
Viroqua needs new, properly equip
cd high school building, and complete
remodeling of the present buildings for
| gra / & purposes Then there should be
goo. system Of heating and the fan
system Of ventilation. The city of vi
roqua ought TO be as generous to its
children as Vernon county is wi it's
poor and insane There should be no
niggardly spirit shown in making these
necessary improvements. The children
a. o the precious jewels of our homes md
city, and must be cared for.
1t has been thought best to agitata
this matter thus early that it might not
come as surprise TO sD- citizens at the
time of the annual school meeting. 1t
is a question that needs thought and
deliberate discussion-a question whose
decision will affect the future develop
ment of every child in our city.
Yours for