The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-07-15
FRWER SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARD FEWER
WOMEN TEACHERS.
These are the Great Needs Of the Public
Schools, Says Mr.. Taylor-His Reasons
for 90 Thinking.
Cor. of The Progressive Farmer.

Cor. of The Progressive Farmer.
In regard to the u~pbuilding of the
public school system of u State-a
subject which ought to be paramount
to all others with our people, which
indeed appea to be the case just
now-it seems to me hat the two re-
forms most needed are fewer districts
Eand fewer teachers.
The evils of having too nan dis
triets and the advantages of having
fewer and larger districts are many,
but 1 will only discuss a few of the
most important. In the first place
with so many small districts the
school fund has to be scattered over
too much ground to get the best re-
suits. It's just like farming on the
extensive plan, it doesn't pay.
If each township in the country dis
tricts had one good graded school
with two or three teachers far better
results could be obtained because, Cd
there would be money enough to pay
these few teachers good salaries and
so good teachers could be secured;
% the pupils could be graded better;
an advantage greatly appreciated by
all progressive educators; 60 better
school houses could be built, such as
would be suited to the purpose, and
they could be adapted so as to insure
both the health and comfort of pupil
and teacher; (4) better equipment
could be had in the way of library,
and of apparatus such as b~lackboards,
maps and general illustrative mate
rial; 90 a music and art department
could be added to each school at small
cost; (6) each county could employ a
good lecturer to visit each school from
time to time and give the pupils lee
lures; the principles of agriculture
could be taught to good advantage in
the larger school. With all these adj
vantages the general education of the
pupils could be more than doubled in
both scope and quality, and I don't
believe it would take much more, if
any more money to effect this result
than is now being expended on the
present system.
But somebody says, "Our children
cannot walk so far to school," Well,
that's true, but I reckon they would
not object to riding a "pretty good
spell" at the public expense. "What!"
cries some chronic kicker against pay
ing taxes to support the public
schools, "you don't expect us to pay
taxes to haul children to school do
youP Yes, l reckon hat is just what
you ought to do. It's being done by
the people of some other States and
they have found it cheaper in the
long run than the support of so many
small schools. 1t wouldn't cost more
than the salary of a teacher of one of
these little cone horse schools" to
haul all the children in a township
to school. But of course, it is not
necessary that all should ride. Only
the smaller ones and those who live
at too great a distance to walk need
ride.
As to having so many women teach
ers, I think there could be no greater
evil. I do not doubt but that a child
will learn as much about books under
a teacher as under a man. But
the best lessons for a child to learn
after he has passed from the primary
grade is not among the lessons he
will find in his books. He needs to
learn to be direct, vigorous, decisive,
and firm in thought and in action.
These are qualities unconsciously alb
sorbed, so to speak, by all children.
when under the guidance of a mind
and personality embodying them.
That mind and hat personality nine
times in ten is lacking in women, and
if the pupils in our schools are to get
this Observation-Disclosures we must
have more men teachers.
Right here I will say that I think
that the University at Chapel Hill
ought to have a normal department
adequate to provide for the training
of at least fifty men teachers annual
ly. The expense ought t. be borne
by the State too, at least to as great
an extent as it bears that for the
training of women teachers at the
State Normal College at Greensboro