Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-03-08
Talks on s. JOl RffalrS.
HONE SCHOOL

The home school is that school
which each member of community
calls our school. 1t is center which
should engage the earnest attention
of every member Of the community:
for, if we admit that the aim of edu-
cation is to develop character and to
fit men and women for self govern
ment, we must admit that the home
school has much to do in determining
whether the aim shall be realized. Ii
the boys and girls of neighborhood
are to become self-governing men
and women, ii is self evident that the
parents in the district must manifest
more than superficial or sentiment
tai interest in the school.
The teacher whom they may select
may be an excellent one, but be as
sured that no teacher is so excellent
that his influence may not be greatly
increased by the sympathetic, helpful
interest of parents.
Some years since rdral district in
one Of our neighboring states devised
the following plan for securing a good
home school:
The parents in this district were,
almost ali Of them. quite well educat-
ed There were no wealthy people
in the community, but almost every
man owned the farm on which he
lived. The number OF children of
school age in the district was probab-
~ between forty and fifty. The
public money provided was not suf-
licient to pay such teacher as these
parents wished to place in charge
Of their school. They, there
fore each year called for a meeting of
all the fathers and mothers in the
district, and at this meeting they
voted how much they were willing 20
pay a teacher. They also appointed
two committees One to confer with
the school officials about suitable
teacher for their schools; the other
was TO yisi. the school during the
school year, note its needs, give en-
enlargement or help TO teacher or
pupils and present a report at the
next annua! meeting.
The salary paid TO the teacher, or
teacher. Gog hey sometimes had an
{ H/almo>t double that re-
ceiye. ne teacher Of the rural
school in ct'.er districts Of the county.
The result was that almost all of |
the boys and girls remained in the
home school until they were grown,
and many young men and young
women went direct from this school |
to college.
1t will be said BY some. "Such
thing as that can not be done in our
district. : Perhaps not; bit are there
not many districts where it can BE
done? where practically the same
thing IS done? The laws of Wiscon-
sin give every encouragement to the
people Of a community to maintain a
good school, and many fathers and I
who can not afford to send |
their children from home to school, |
and pay their board and tuition can,
by little self-deniol pay little more
toward maintaining a good home
school They win then have the
pleasure OF having their children at
home with them and the added pleas
ure Of knowing that their education
is not being neglected
Surely there is nothing Of which
community may be more Justly proud
than Of school which eau interest
and develop the older boys and girls
as well as the younger children.
Have you such school in your dis
trict? you have we congratulate
you, and we would say with Whittier.
Long live the good school giving out year
byyear
Recruits T. true manhood ana womanhood
dear;
Brave boys, modest maidens, in oeauty sent
forth,
The living epistles and proof of its worth