The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-01-03
handled WITHOUT GLOVES.
Supt. Freeman Shows up Some
Shortcomings of Supts.
Full Text of Paper Read at State
Meeting Which Caused Much Dis
cussion and a Sensation.

In the organization and management
of the public school system, it would
seem to be cardinal principle that
the state is bound to provide equal
educational privileges for all her child
rem. The state undertakes the work of
education for its own safety and the
common good. These results cannot
be attained by any system that neglects
the poor or Indifferent and confers the
least attention upon those who need it
most. Every part should have its full
share in the educational advantages of
the state else the whole system OF pub
lie education is hollow delusion
without adequate ground or justifca-
tion. If. however, it can be held that
there is any class of schools that de-
serves more than another, the fostering
care and oversight of the state. it is
the rural schools. The country child
needs education as much as any other.
Moreover the life Of the city must be
replenished and invigorated by drafts
upon the country youth. At the very
best, the country child will always be
handicapped in his efforts to secure an
education. 1t is to the advantage of
the state that these disadvantages
should be reduced to a minimum and
not be aggravated by any movable de-
fects of administration or supervision,
The first question to be asked. then
and vitality important one is whether
the state is making all possible efforts
to secure to the country youth an equal
share in the privileges and opportuni-
ties for securing an elementary educa
ton which is the birth-right of every
American citizen. To this question
there can be given but one answer and
that negative one. Whether the
country school of today is as good as
it was in the time of our fathers is not
a question of vital Importance at this
time and in it's discussion we would
only waste our energy The undeni-
able fact to which our attention should
be directed is this, that the rural
schools are by no means as good as
they ought to be, that they do not
compare with the city schools and that
they are not keeping pace with the
educational progress of the times.
1t is deplorable fact that country
people are not at present exerting
themselves to such degree or max
ing such sacrifices in the cause of COM
mon school education as they once did.
I sincerely believe that the cause of
this condition may be traced to- the
fact that the city schools have out
stripped the rural schools in educa-
tional progress and to the fact that our
state legislature has almost ignored the
rural schools of the state while it has
dealt most literally with the high
schools, normal schools and the uni
versity. Are these conditions true?
They are believed to be true by the
men and women engaged in educa-
tional work, they are believed to be
true by thousands of parents who are
struggling to educate their children in
rural schools, they are believed to be
true not only in this state but in every
state in the union.
1t was during the Legislative session
of 1897 that the members were first
aroused to the crying needs of the
rural schools and enacted a bill thai
carried an appropriation of $50, 900 tc
be divided among the common schoo
districts, upon certain conditions, nc
school to receive more than $50 in any
one year. Every one who was in a
position to observe will recall how
eagerly the famished districts clamor
ed for the little morsel. 1t was mos
lamentaple fact that the appropriation
was far short of the amount necessary
to go around. 1t was pitiable to see 6
very large number of districts making
an honest effort to secure the aid only
to find in the end that the fund wal
exhausted There was little comfor
in telling them you were sorry ant
little encouragement to try again.
The legislature of 1899 could not ig
more the increased Cry of the common
schools and so went one step further
increasing the appropriation to--$40, 00'
for rural schools and $11, 900 to semi
graded schools, no rural school to re
ceive more than $75 in any one yea
and no semi graded school more thai
$10O in case more schools applied TO
the aid than could be paid from the
funds available, it was provided tina
each district should receive pro rat
share. The result was that each rura
school received $50. 80 and each semi
graded school $57. SO.
During the legislative session o
1901, the needs of the rural and semi
graded schools were again brought u
with the result that the appropriation
was still further increased to $50, 90
for rural schools and $25, 600 for semi
graded schools with a provision tina
no rural school should receive NOR
than 800 in any one year and no semi
graded school more than $g0G Thi
time the fund proved sufficient an
every school that filled all require
ments was given the full amount
This condition was not brought abou
through any lack of desire on the PAL
of the district to comply with the law
, but through lack of properly qualifie
teachers. This shortage of teacher