Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-04-21

/ the time in school necessary for salts
| factory completion of the course, the char
acter and the permanency of the work
| done, and the possibility Of educational
] advantages higher than those afforded by
| the rural schools. 1t is a matter worthy
| of the most serious consideration of those
! concerned-a matter that affects our pres
| ent and future welfare most vitally-and
/ should be taken up as any other import
4 ant interest and disposed of In common
sense, business-like way. 1t is not a mat
| ter to bubble about, or to be made con-
! tingent upon what the masses might con-
slider a reasonable or an unreasonable
/ rate of taxation-schools or no schools
i or to be deferred or set aside until better
/ times come, or to be halfway or two
thirds provided for; but it is question
| that demands immediate attention, one
/ that touches in it's sweep every people,
i every interest, every individual; and, ap-
parently, not satisfied with things tempo
| raj, 1t reaches into eternity itself and
| claims an interest there. In its applica-
| ton 1t is universal; in its interest 1t is
! eternal and Is here to stay critics or no
/ critics, croakers or no croakers.
Except so far as the country unit has been
/ broken by the withdrawal Of so many
/ cities and towns and the Inauguration by
| them of separate, independent systems
which, of course, has lessened the rural
educational possibilities, no discredit at
taches to the city schools because the
difference is in their favor; and we are
not prepared to say that they deserve any
/ special credit on this account, for the
/ difference more than likely, is the result
of natural conditions to be found only In
| aggregation of wealth and population.
| But however more favorable the condi-
| ton of the city schools as compared with
/ that Of the rural, il need never discourage
i the latter to the extent even OF cooling
them ardor or of extinguishing their hope
| for better things educationally. On the
| contrary. the example of the cities should
| be a stimulus, an object lesson to the ru-
raj districts to incite them to things high
er and nobler.
But 1t should never be forgotten that,
| II the rural districts shall ever secure the
same, or approximately the same, edu-
cational facilities enjoyed by the cities,
the. conditions which exist naturally IN
| cities and which make possible their su-
perior advantages, must obtain in the
/ country These conditions do not come
| voluntarily or unsought. They are the
product of united thought and effort, and
in the country must be produced arti-
ficially.
When public opinion shall reach the
point where It is ready to be Invested OF
/ prejudice, and to accept and adopt as
sensible and buslness-like means to an
| end, first, the consolidation of rural
| schools; second, hauling to school chill
/ dren living too remote to walk, and third
local taxation for improved facilities, the
city school conditions may be approxima-
| ted by the country precincts. Until this
| is accomplished, we need never look for
any marked Improvement in the condi-
/ tions existing in the country. The first
| will accomplish for the country what the
| city schools have by reason OF larger
enrolment, greater number Of teachers,
| and better facilities for classification and
4 Iaf - " q
complish what the city schools have by
virtue Of dense population; the third will
secure for the country .identically the
! same advantages that local taxation has
secured for the cities-longer term schools
and prompt payment of teachers.
We will note briefly some of the main
differences between the city and rural
schools:
City schools generally are operated from
nine to ten months, or $50 to 200 days, each
year, and are free to all children OF school
age within the corporate limits. Country
schools, on an average, in this state are
run for FIVE months, or about 100 days.
child attending a city school regular
| Iy, from six years of age to the compile
/ ton of the course-say twelve grades
will finish the prescribed work in twelve
/ years. The same child in country
school operated only five months during
/ the year, will consume twenty-one years
| IN mastering the same WORK.
! The city child will finish his work on MS
eighteenth birthday, while the country
lad will have passed his twenty-seventh
| summer before winning his diploma.
/ If the city boy enters college immediate
| " after finishing his school course and
spends four years within its walls, he will
| come forth ready to assume the duties OF
! life, just twenty-five years old. The coun-
! try boy, however. pursuing the same
4 he
The city boy, in consequence of a nine
months annual term, loses no time dur
| ing his entire course. The country lad
loses four months each year, or forty
eight months during the course
In the struggle for existence after grad
uation, the city boy will have in age, nine
| years the advantage of the boy who at
tended the country school
AS a rule, the city schools are supplying
! the great body of students to our colleges.
Students in the country schools rarely get
| far enough advanced TO enter college be-
fore they must quit and settle down to
work.
City schools have a teacher to every one
| or two grades and the instruction on ac-
count of the time possible for class drill
| ing is, or should be, thorough and of the
most approved type. The great bulk OF
the country schools must do with one
! teacher only for the entire school of from
seven to ten grades. The work in the lat
ter must, of course, be far below the form
er both as TO quantity and quality.
/ City schools receive constant and expert
supervision. County schools, on account Of
their number and widely scattered condi-
1 ton, receive not half enough supervision,
to say nothing of the quality.
City schools pay teachers an average an
nual salary Of $45215. while that of the
country teacher is only S122.9S. Is it diff
| cult to guess which system will likely Sc
| cure the best talent?
| The average annual salary of city sup
! erintendents is $500 or more. while that of
the county school commissioner is only
| S462. SO. Which would reasonably be ex-
| pected to do more and better wOrk2
1t is not our purpose in the least to con-
denim or even reflect on the work as
| whole that is done, or not done, 10 the
country public schools. There are isolated
| instances, no doubt, where the work and
| results are not commensurate with posi-
/ bilities were more interest taken in the
matter by local authorities. but a
| whole, allowing for local environments
/ and conditions which generally are shaped
| by local public sentiment, about as much
| is accomplished as is possible. Improve
ments OF any consequence under the most
| favorable conditions, are necessarily grad
| ual and slow, but when such as the old
''blue back" spelling book crowd and the
| ''ba. be. bi. DO. blu, by fossils are to be
/ conte5ded with, IT is nothing less than