The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1901-04-12
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN,
By County Supt. L. r. Clark.
Our Rural School System.
Its Present and Future.

To that class of people whose ex-
treme conservatism Will not allow
them to tolerate a new idea, who be-
lleve that the acme OF perfection has
been reached, and who, like the COM
PLEASANT MIR. Speniow, consider it the
duty of gentleman to leave the world
as he finds it, this article is not ad-
dressed. They will find no pleasure
in it's perusal and are hereby warned
to leave it unread.
It is with those individuals who ad-
NIT that improvement is still posi- BILE,
and who are at least willing to invest
igate a new proposition before con-
demning it that the author Graves an
audience.
In previous discussions he has
facts.
lst. The cost of educating children
in district schools is more than doub-
lie the cost in graded schools.
I'd. Pupils in district schools have
far inferior advantages compared with
pupils in graded schools.
3rd. The attend ance at district
schools is steadily decreasing.
From the third prOpositi a fourth
is readily deduced,-viz. parents and
pupils are becoming dissatisfied with
the district school.
Before suggesting a means for i'm
proving any abnormal social condi-
tiOn, it il we'll for the reformer to OBJ
serve the unconscious efforts which
society makes to bring about relief.
Parents do not send their children
to the district school as much as form
erly. What provisions, then,. do they
make for their educatiOn!
In every good graded school in the
country there are many pupils whose
permanent homes are at a dista nee.
They are boarding, living with rela-
and morning. and often payiug tuition
in order TO have the superior advant-
ages which such schools ford
The inspiration which comes from
numbers is exhilerating, and children
who have spent term or two at
large, we'll ordered school are usually
unwilling to attend d small school
with one or two pupils in class.
Coucentration on is the order of the age.
In uni on there is strength.
Manufacturers recognize this truth
when they form trusts. Their employ
ees recognize it when they organize
themselves into labor unions. Men
and women act upon this principle
when they band themselves togethef
in lodges, churches and clubs,-and
children unconsciously obey its teach
ings when they desire to attend "big
school.
But, says someone, grant that the
district school is expensive, grant
that the tendency is away from the
district school and toward the graded
school, the fact remains that the grad
ed school is inaccessible to the great
majority of country children, what
are you going TO do about that?''
l will answer, IF the mountain will
not come to Mahomet, Mahomet must
20 to the mountain. % TAKE THE
GRADED SCHOOL TO THE COUNTRY
.'ImpOssible." Yes. that was what
men said when il WAS proposed TO
cross the Atlantic by steam. That
was what they said when Morse an
nounced that he could send messages
by electricity.
That was the cry when John Knox
suggested That public school system
be maintained by tax. Impossible!
Cant be done!
The world is accustomed to these
expressions, and il also accustomed
to seeing the se-called impossible