Mower County transcript., 1901-10-09
RURAL SCHOOL CENTRES. ! 1; / ]. !.

State Superintendent J. W.. Olsen
Strongly Favors the Consolidation
of Rural Schools. NJ
The most pressing education al prob
lem OF today in this country and Id,
this state, is the problem of the rural
school. especially the small school.
This is no reflec tion upon the chara-
ter or pu bile spirit Of our rural pOpu-
lation. but the result OF conditions
prevailing since our first settlers be-
gan the work Of redeeming wilder
ness to the cause of yenlighten ment
and civilization. 1t Is a, great pro blems
because it lies at the very heart Of our
educational system, affecting it at it's
very center, and is certain TO afe CT
the character OF our citizenship
according as it is correctly or incor.:
rectly solved. "&,"'
No prejudice Of custom or tradition,
no nearsighted policy OF selishness
on the part Of Individuals, neighbcr.
hoods, or communities should prevent
the undoing OF present unfavOrable
conditions, and the estd blishing of a
new and better order, under which It
will be easier to grow. a sturdy and
progressive character OF citizenship.
How can time and effort be econo-*
mized, and the most profita BILE results
attained by system, Orga anization, con-
solldatiOn, efficient superlnteDdence,
and specialized work OF employees?
This question character .Zing our time
is ever confronting the business in-
terests OF the country, and has been
successfully solved by many bus1-
ness corporation. 81
1t is safe to say that no other single
educational question has been given
equal consideration with centraliZa-
tion Of rural schools during the past
five years. Nearly all the states of
the Unlon have been trying to:sOlveS
it. Within this time. dozen states
have passed school consolidation laws.
Wherever the plan OF. organlzing
country schools into larger units has
been tried it has been pronounced
highly successful. The Commissioner
OF Schools for Rhode Island declares
that: Reconsideration produces better
classi 6cation Of the pupils, a better
among the pupils, and more intelli-|
gent interest among the parents and,
citizens" F.,
State Superintendent Barrett, Of
Iowa. where consolidation in some
places has been put into practical op-
GRAFTON, closes valuable and inter-
estihg report, giving Ia detail its
workings, in the following sentence:
the plan is an unqualified success z ~ AS@
Hon w. T.. Harris, United States
Commissioner Of Education, says after
~ o1c 1onc
frequently demonstrated,y and is now
better. both on economical and peda.
gogical grounds, to unite the many
small and weak schools ola town
ship, dispersed over large extent OF
territory, into few strong,, we'll
equipped and we'll conducted graded
schools, located at convenient points"
The State Surerintendents OF Yer:
mont, Ohio, New York, Indiana and
system in unqualified language.
The results of consolidation may be
briefly summarized:
1t makes larger classes, promoting
desirable classification and permit
ting better grading Of pupils By a
regular system Of gradation from one
class and one room to another, school
work is given more distinct aim and
more tangible rewards are offered
pupils.
It allows more time to recitation.
In one-roomed country schools,
where all classes of pupils, from
primer to algebra are present, q cor
respondingly limited time only can
be devoted to each. Where two or
more such are united and the younger
pupils are placed under q teacher
especially adapted to primary work,
and the older ones under q specialist
in higher work, the time for recita.
tion is not only heightened, but the
pupils benefit by substituting spe-
cialized for unspecialized instruction.
1t opens the door to longer terms Of
school, as we'll s<to schools Of higher
grade; to better app >inted school:
houses, heated, lighted and ventilated
on more sanitary plans, affording con-
ditiOns that insure better health Of
pupils; to better equipment of appar-
atus and books-all these naturally
follow concentration OF people,
wealth, interest and effort. =
Many of the same library books and
much Of the same apparatus will
necessarily be found In different we'll
equipped one-roomS schools. It follows
that one school Of half a.dozen rooms
can be better provided with these
working tools for a stipulated sum,
than half dozen separate schools. :#5$ Il i:
1t adds the sllniulaL ling inf uence OF
large classes, with the resulting en-.
thusiasm arising from keener compe.
titiOn and mira active rivalry with
class-m ates. ., Z II e a. # ZSE.5$5 S@t%E. b
To many, it affords association with
others whose lives are less Restricted
than their own, a distinct g7.in ID
social grace and personal culture:
The narrow environments Of mai 81
country, school pupils may be appre.
ciated by rejecting that in Minnesota
last year one hundred and thirty-six
schonls enrolled Less tkaa p.