The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-26
FOR RURAL SCHOOLS
STRONG PLEA MADE FoR MoDN
CONSIDERATION BY SUPT,
FREEMAN
COUNTRY SCHOOLS NEGLECTED
Legislature Should Deal as Literally
With Them as With High Schools
Are Not as Good as They
Should Be.

There is growing discomfort among
those interested in the development of the
rural schools in Minnesota consequent
upon the prevailing belief that the rural
school is being neglected, and that the
city schools are being encouraged and
helped by the state at the expense of the
rural schools. There is an indication that
the county superintendents Of the state
will form an association for the purpose
of correcting this tendency.
County Superintendent w. E. Freeman,
of Blue Earth county, one of the recog-
nized educational leaders in the state, and
one of the few who are not afraid to
speak out, as was evidenced by his atti-
tude in the last state educa tional associa-
ton convention, is very outspoken in de-
claring that the rural schools are being
neglected by the legislature and being left
out of account too much by men dealing
with educational problems. Mr.. Freeman
says:
1t is the cardinal principle of public
education that the state is bound to pro-
vide equal privileges for all her children.
If the poor and weak are neglected and
the least attention given those who need
it most the result Will be absolute failure.
If, however, there is any class Of schools
deserving more consideration than others
it is the rural schools The life of tie
city must be replenished and invigOrated
by drafts upon the country youth. At
the very best the country child will al
ways be handicapped in his efforts to Sc
cure an education 1t is to the advantage
of the state that these disadvantages
should be reduced to a minimum and not
aggravated. Is the state making all pos
size effor, to afford the country youth an
equal share in the privileges and oppor-
tunities of education which is his birth
o. n a ai+ &c. = ha
most vital of all school questions To
this question there can be but one
answer, and that negative one.
THE rural schools are by no means as
good as they ought to be; they do not
compare with the city school and they
are not keeping pace with the educational
progress of the times. 1t is a deplorable
fact that country people are not at pres
ent exerting themselves to such a ue-
gree, or maAng such sacrifices in the
cause of common school education as
they once did. 1 believe the cause of
this condition to be the fact that the city
schools have outstripped the rural schools
in educational progress. and the fact that
our state legislature has almost entirely
ignored the rural schools of the state
while 1t has dealt literally with the high
schools, normal schools and state uni
VerSity.
Inese conditions are believed to be
true by the men and women engaged in
educational work, and by thousands Of
parents eager to educate their children.
1T will be very interesting to notice
that the legislature of 1901 appropriated
$4,000 to be divided among 1854 common
schools and 5000 to be divided among
242 semi-graded schools: at the same
time it appropriate $368, $3.50 to the state
university, $2450OO to the five normal
schools, $125,0G00 to the 115 high schools
and $4,000 to the 107 graded schools"
Former State Superintendent Lewis in
his biennial report made a strong plea
for the rural schools and Supt Olson is
in sympathy with the same ideas.