The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-17
]. UNION OF SCHOOLS
CONSOLIDATION IN RURAL DIS
TRICTss rs BECOMING PoPU-
LAIR IN MINNESOTA .
sUPT oIsENs AGITATION
Capitalization sInde Necessary by
Changing SfSpn n,d and Offers
SsrentaE Opportunity to
eoMntry Pupils.

Il
r. State Superintendent John, w. Olsen
returnednyestenday from Keister. Mimi.
4 where he talked school consolidation to
+ the citizAns last week Mr.. Olsen found
unusual unanfnity of sentiment on the
auestiens9f CONSOLIDATION in that section
There age. six schools in the vicinity,
and DENOMINATIONS are very favorable
for an experiment in consolidation.
SHpt. Olsen has been greatly interested
I in the question of school consolidation for
many years, and is carrying on practi-
cal agitation to accomplish results in this
direction in Minnesota. For period OF
! fifty years theasubject- has been promi-
!. nent one In the edueatfenal councils OF
the East and Massachusetts, New York
Connecticut, New Hampshire Rhode ISL
and and Maine have tested the question
in practical manner, and proved most
eonclusiNely that consolidation Is enc OF
the necessities of the present time.
The changes IN population during the
past fifty years have entirely changed
/. the question of rural school education.
The constant growth of city. population,
with the. corresponding decrease CT coun-
try population, gradually. brought abou:
condition in the rural schools that was
a grave menace to public education Over
half the schools Of New York and Mas
saGhusetts, a. few years ago, reported an
average attendance of less than ten pI-
pills per day In New York for five
years there were 4, geo schools having an
ayerade daily attendance of less than
+ seven pupils. Other states reported an
almost similar condition of things The
prejudice of tradition in the Eastern
states has made the question of consoli-
dation a hard one to put into operation
Communities were sloath to give up their
tal hi CHI raic Nc
The Western states had less of this pref
udice to contend with, and in Illinois con-
solidation made rapid progress and has
proved to be entirely successful.
With the gradual decline in attendance
the Schools necessarily ran down. The
Standards of sAlch schools was very low
and it became impossible to get good
teachers nd salaries were of course very
low. CeHsolIdation presented many dis
tinct ad4ia fltassss. Among. others it offer
ed the following advantages:
Some Advantages Offered.
Proper classification OF pupils in grades
and CLASPS: better instruction in a larger
Z numkeftof brSrEhss; bert esAteaohens, and
consequently fetter salaries; the develop
ment of the pupils individuality by rea-
son of the coming in contact with larger
numbereIof psfeils. and being put to the
interest in things aroused to greater
extent the opening UP of larger view
of life to pupils who have been shut in by
bare wans. with little to interest them
better schaoi equipment than was possible
in the tumble7down country school where
few expenditures for repairs were made;
the advantage of coming in contact with
city life during the school hours, while
still living in the country.
Hand in hand with consolidation goes
the proposition OF transportation of pu-
pills, which has been thoroughly tried and
proved in many Of the states. The ad-
: Santages are apparent. It assures par
ents that their children are not exposed
to cold and damp OH their way to school,
are under proper SUPERVISION all the time
they are away from home, and insures
l greater punctuality III arriving at school,
and fewer absentees. ssss+ - - ~
Tt has been proved In almost every case
that the cost Of central school is less
to the tax payer than the cost of sepa-
rate rural schools. The pupils from four
: or five schools can be accommodated in
one room, Under one teacher. The main
objection to consolidation has been the
claim that 1t deprecates the value of
land. This has been proved to be an
erroneous contention. The central graded
school is worth infinitely more to the pu-
piits,s and costs less in the long run than
the little. country school, which has run
down to, SIX or seven pupils. It's the
one opportunity for giving the country
scholar the advantage of the graded
school without loss of time, or any dis
advantage to pupil or parent
SHpt. Olsen finds that the idea takes
very well i'm; y innesota, and hopes, by
the time shis biennial report. is published.
to- arb liz TO sI,eiTsf TO some TracticaI ey
periment$ IN this line.