The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-09
RURAL SCHOOL union
sUPT. OLSEN SAYS CONSOLIDATION
IDEA Is BECOMING
POPULAR
DEPARTMENT IS AGITATTNG IT
<NN7 M superintendent schulz
Says II VIII Secure a Better Class
Of Teachers for COun-
try Districts.

When State Superintendent Olsen a.
sumed office he began a systematic aci
tatIOn for rural school Consolidation. He
mas talked the proposition all over the
state, and while in the nature of things.
no great tangible results are vet evil
dent, the success of the agitation has
been beyond his expectations. Tn Moor
head on Thursday he discussed the aues-
ticn before the Northwestern Teachers
association, and found the sentiment to
be almost unanimous i'm favor of the con-
solidation and transportation idea
Supt Olsen left last night for Brain
erd, having been requested to come up
there and speak on consolidation. As
sistant superintendent C. G. Schulz will
leave today to talk consolidation to the
educators Of Chisago county The de-
partment is receiving requests from many
counties for information regarding the
consolidation of rural schools and the
transportation of pupils. So great is the
interest taken in the question that the
N. +. A. will give special consideration
to it at the convention in Minneapolis.
what schulz Says About IL
Speaking Of consolidation, Assistant
Superintendent Schulz says:
This consolidated school system will
make it possible to organize and main
tam graded school in any rural COM
nunlE and saving viii be effected in
buildings, equipments and ordinary ex-
penclLures less number Of teachers
Will be required for the same number
Of pupils, hence the main item of school
expenditure, that Of teachers wages Will
be reduced. At the game time no school
man will doubt a better class of teachers
Will be attracted to these schools, for
the reason that wages viii be naturally
higher and the conditions under which
the teacher is expected to work Will be
moro favorable and advantageous. Such
q school Will be located at some natural
geographical center towards which roads
and traffic graVltate. The taxpayers must
be convinced that such q school will not
onV offer better school advantages, but
that 1T Will be no more expensive and
rather that the expense viii be less than
under the present system of smaller de-
tached school districts.
Make Fast Progress.
Minnesota has shown wonderful and
rapid progress in her educational ad-
varcement Our state university today
! IS second to none i'm the country. our
normal schools are doing an important
and efficient work i'm the training OF
teachers. Our high school and graded
school system is carefully planned and
arrculates admirably with the advance
ment Of the pupil and prepares him by
natural steps for a higher training i'm
some special line Of education; but when
we remember that the vast majority Of
Jur school population lever go beyond
their own home school, that fully three
fourths Of our school children today are
in the rural schools it becomes the earn
est and solemn duty Of our people and
our state to so plan that the work in
! these schools shall be the most thorough,
| most efficient and most practical posi-
BILE.
Bcde Also Favors it,
| J. Adam Bede is also preaching the
| gospel of consolidation now. He says:
The little red school house has won
/ derfUI hold on the hearts Of our people.
/ but the education it affords It's not an
| that can De desired. "a mvement is al
ready far advanced in other states, and
! begun in our own to consolidate country
school districts, and bring together 100 or
200 children in one building, thus afford
| ing graded schools to children on the
farm. This is found to be less expensive
than the separate district plan, gives bet
! ter teachers and more school I'm the year
| The children farthest away are taken to
and from school in wagons at the ex-
| pense Of the district. If this plan is kept
| in view in the settlement Of cur farm
| lands it can easily be adopted, and WE
| shall avoid having a lot of extra school
| houses on our hands. Lack Of educa-
| tiOnal facilities in the country drives
mny people into town. And if prospective
| settlers can be assured that their farm
| homes will be on the route Of graded
| school, they Will come more eagerly, and
\ dwell among us with more giadness i'm
their hearts