Graham guardian., 1901-12-13
A PLEA FOR BETTER
COUNTRY SCHOOLS.
"a BOLD PEASANTRY, a CoUNTRY's
PRIDE"

EDITOR UUAhDlAN. HeIDSIG
Spencer says a school system must
grow by free and open discussion.
Therefore allow we to give my
dissenting views to your article
showing the excellence Of Graham
county schools. We understand
that few, if any of your schools,
have school library, yet the most
humble district of California has
library worth hundreds Of dollars,
which would meet most Of the
wants of an intelligent community,
SCHOOL TERM.
You think seven months long
school term. Are you aware that
the Territory expects the pupils to
complete the public school course
at fourteen years of age? | fear
you will find very few, in coun-
try school where they have only
seven month term that completes
the public school course at four
teen years of age. The country
child is often called out Of school
to work, its health and the wants
of the family often require this, 50
if a school can show sixty per
cent average for the entire term Of
all the pupils in the district it will
do we'll. So the conclusion is that
the country child must either be
sent to town for education or
raised in ignorance in the country.
This is the condition of American
schools. In North Carolina they
have twenty days school in the
pine barrens, while Washington
has three hundred days school.
GRAHAM COUNTY SCHOOL.
We understand that some Of
your districts have nine months
school, others seven months and
other five months. Now where is
the Justice Of that? Is it not the
country that makes the town pos
sible? Why then should town
schools run nine and ten months
while the country school should
close at five months? Is not the
country the cheapest and best
place to raise children? Do not
the greatest minds come from the
country? Does not history show
that as the country is depopulated
and the towns become crowded
with a starving horde, the down
fall of the government is approach
ing? To the country the town
must look for prosperity.
Then why not give the country
child the same chance as the town
child for an education? You say
that as most children are in town
they should have most school.
So did Pat and Mike reason of
their journey of two miles being
only a mile a piece. The child
does not ask money, it is time of a
teacher.
Why should Indians have ten
month school and white country
children from one month to four
months. Where are your boasted
American free systems? Is the
time ripe for National schools?
The English colonial theory is
wherever the pioneer goes to make
home there the State sends hand
in hand with him a suitable person
to educate his children. In this
way New Zealand and Australia
within the last fifty years are be-
coming prosperous countries. Six
children in New Zealand get the
same length ofschool term as they
do in Wellington-forty-six weeks.
But you say the Territory fnrn-
ishes more money than the school
can use. That is when schools
fall into hands that value money
higher than education. So notori-
Gus did it become in California for
some district to rob scholars Of
education and board, the money
for building and other purposes,
that law was passed as follows:
State and county school money
must be used exclusively for sup
porting a school until an eight