The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-30

Again it will not need labored
argument to prove that to improve the
curriculum is not necessarily to improve
the school. The best curriculum parts
from its purpose in the hands of an in
competent teacher. This is Just as true
in the country as in the city.
ION the other hand a poor curriculum
may be made to do fairly good work
when manipulated by a superior teach
er In a word. there can be no Substi-
formed teacher.
1.-THE improved curriculum will need
an improved teacher to handle 1T. For
this reason I contend that we need
teachers fitted by special training for
our rural schools. A highly trained city
teacher would be as much at a loss what
to do in the rural school the rural
teacher would be in the closely graded
schools Of the city
Until some of these matters are set
tied, and settled right, there is but little
use in attempting to introduce some
more practical studies in the rural
schools. At the risk of repeating what
I have said, the schools which are fitting
teachers recognize only one class OF
teachers, viz, those who teach in graded
schools, and they offer no inducement
whatever to the other class.
THE new curriculum will require that
the successful teacher for the rural
school should be able to adapt herself
/ to conditions She must know what can
! =
schools The things that render rural
life attractive should be magnifed be-
fore the children. There should be the
greatest freedom of choice as to sub.
| jects for general instruction. There are
facts concerning agriculture which the
child of the farmer ought to know.
There are others concerning mines and
minerals which the child of the mineA
should be taught The country school
cannot be made into city school. and
it ought not to be. But here in the
country school is the teachers oppor-
tunity to assert her individuality, to get
close to her pupils, to impress her char
acter upon them, and to work out prob
lens of individual instruction-oppor-
tunities denied the city teacher in the
crowded schools of the city.
There are two questions of paramount
! interest: How to make the knowledge OBJ
tanned at school of use on the farm, and
how to make farm life an incentive to
more earnest work on the part of pupils
of school Bookkeeping as applied te
farm accounts should be taught. The
small margins that are saved constitute
the great sum of profits in every business
| The study of elementary geometry anc
surveying so that he may run a line
would be very useful to the farmers boy
The study of plants, the selection o.
seeds, some knowledge of soils, the culti
walton of ali kinds of fruit. especially
| those which will best grow in that pari
of the state how to make good roads
are but few of the many subjects which
ought to he made more prominent in tn
rural school curriculum. The time is a
! hand when the farmer must open up new
sources of revenue. Tt will not do fo
| him to much longer depend upon corn o.
wheat alone. Da;rying, the raising o
poultry for the market, the cultivation
of small fruits, how to get the best posi-
Bile results from the cultivation of al
acre of ground, are forging their way t
the front very rapidly The school which
conduces most to the benefiting the farm
is best for rural community. The pro
duct of the country school should be tn
intelligent expert farmer. We must re
move from agricultural pursuits the stig
ma that it requires less intelligence t
manage a farm of 16o acres than it doe
to keep a corner grocery
Other papers of interest presented a
the morning session were "The Rura
School--a Survey of the Field by Super
intendent Mary E. McCreary of Lyol
county: THE Study of Animal Life, 1t
Place in the Public Schools by Prof. 6
J. Hunter of the State university: indus
trial Phases of Common School Work,
by President Nichols of the State Agricul
tufaI college: and Essentials of Ora
Reading" by R. e. Pattison Kline o
Ottawa university.