The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1901-04-05

EDUCATIONAL COLUMN,
By County 3npt. L. z. Clark.
Our Rural School System.
Its Present and Future.

In the last article upon this subject
it was shown that under existing con-
ditiOns the farmer is obliged to pay
more than twice the amount for school
privileges than the urban resident,
while the means for educating his
children are far inferior.
In the present an answer will be
given tn the question, care the dis
trict schools as we'll attended as form
erly?"
For anyone who has made even a
superficial Investigation there can ne
but one answer, no. For the past
thirty years there has been a grad ual
decrease in attendance,-not a de-
crease caused by fewer people living
in the country, but decrease in pro-
portion to the population of the dis
trict. This falling off in attendance
was first noticed in the New England
sUates where the district school sys-
TEN originated. Since then the cause
of the decrease, wha5ever it NAV be,
has been travelling steadily westward
until now it is noticeable in nearly
every state in the union.
Thousands of little red schOolhouses
n The eastern states whose walls once
echoed to the tread of a hundred rest
less feet are now deserted and falling
in ruins, and many which held "three-
score scholars" in the ''gOOd old
days now give shelter to half dOz-
en-.
The following from an Illinois pa
per gives an idea of the situation in
that state: 1.-The consolid alton of a
number of district schools will be un-
dertaken by State Superintendent
Ba! less during the year. This step
is necessary in order to save a large
number of rural schools from extinc-
tior. Since 1870 the attendance at
these schools has been gradually de.
creasing. Scores of schools which
once enrolled forty, fifty and sixty pu-
pills now have less tnan a dozen names
upon the roster.'
Supt. Kern, of Winnebago county,
Illinois, reports that out of the 11O
district schools in that county forty
two have an enrolment of less than
of less than ten, and nine have an en-
rOllment of less than seven.
In our own state and comfy the de-
crease in attendance is coming to be
marked.
In 1890 there were in Edwards cOun-
ty, outside of Kinsley, 993 persons of
school age, of whom S27, or S2.2 per
cent we're enrolled in school. In 1900
there were in the same territory 978
persons of school age, of whom 731 i,
or only 74.7 per cent were enrolled in
school.
The reports for 1901, SO far as re-
ceived, indicate a still further decrease
in proportion to the population.
Now it must not be inferred from
these statistics that the American peo-
Pile are becoming Indifferent to educa-
ton. Reports from counties, states
and the twelfth census show that more
people are receiving education now
than ever before, that illitteracy is
gradually disappearing and that city
schools are overcrowded. What,
then, is the inference? It is simply
this,-that the district school is no
longer as important an educati on
al factor as formerly. 1t has served
its purpose in times past, but the pub
lie is now demanding something bet
ter. Thirty years ago young people
looked to the district school as a
means of fitting themselves for the ac-
tivities of life, but now they consider
it as only the means of acquiring the
simple rudiments of an education.
The average age of pupils in dis
trict schools is gradually becoming
lower as the attend ance decreases.
These are facts. These are condi
tions which exist whether they are
pleasing TO US or not. The writer Ct
this article is not responsible for
them. No individual is responsible
for them. But as they confront US it
is we'll to look them in the face and
ask each other in the pertinent words
of the educator before quoted. "Wh4t
are you going to do about it?"
School Entertainment.
There will be q school social at the