Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1902-03-07
TEACHERS FOR
- RURAL
W. SCHOOLS
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

For some years there has been q
growing opinion among thoughtful
students of our public school system,
that changes might be made In the
rural schools, both in courses Of study
and organization, which would be
greatly to the advantage Of the agri-
cultural community. In other words,
that such schools should educate to-
wards the farm instead Of away from
it; that they should encourage the OBJ
servation Of natural phenomena and
arouse an interest in and love for
country life. The great stumbling
block In the way of revolutionizing
such schools along the lines indicated
has been the lack of teachers properly
qualified for such work. knowledge
Of the things taught should not be
their only equipment. Back OF that
should be love for the country born
Of intimate acquaintance with 1t and
potent enough to kindle the same fame
in the hearts of their pupils.
In view of this acknowledged lack
OF pedagogic timber, it is encourage
ing to know that our normal training
schools have taken the matter up In o
practical way. In response to recent
inquiry, DR.. David Felmley, President
Of the State Normal School at Normal,
writes as follows:
In September, 1900, we introduced
into our course of study Nature Study,
with special reference to the rural
schools. Our lowest grade of students,
who come to us directly from the coun-
try schools, and who, usually, after
year or two with us, return to the
rural schools as teachers, are now in
structed for one term in plant and ami
NAL life and for one term in physics
with special reference to the weather,
and to the physical forces that are in
volved in an understanding of the
weather phenomena. The topics taken
in the first term are usually the study
Of insects with special reference to the
forms that are injurious to man, the
study of birds, their food and habits,
the study of trees, of the modes Of dis
seminating seeds, a series of expert
ments to determine the soil conditions
most favorable for the conservation of
moisture, for termination and plant
growth. We now propose to devote a
considerable area adjoining the campus
to flower garden in cooperation
with one of the local nurseries. We
| want the students to learn how to
propagate and cultivate the choicer va
rieties of flowers that will grow in
the open air in Illinois, and we hope
next fall to build greenhouse and en-
ploy a competent gardener and florist
to attend to this work. Our beginnings
this year will be rather modest. These
courses as described are for the young
people from the country who will re-
turn to the country as rural school
teachers. We find that our graduates
almost always 60 to the cities to teach
where better salaries are paid and the
conditions of living are usually more
attractive. These courses, too, lie at
the beginning of four years course.
Further ON in the course there Is a
great deal of work in botany, zoology.
physics and chemistry, but the work In
these advanced courses is not so i'm
mediately related to the problems OF
country life. The work which we are
doing is intended to supply the very
lack that you speak of in your letter."
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