Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-20
CHANGES IN THE SCHOOLS
State Superintendent Fowler Believes Il is
an Era Of Consolidation.
on THE MARKING OF BALLOTS
q A. n Select OmciaI Route for
Nebrsskans who wish TO Attend
the National Reunion
st washington.
Trom a stan Correspondents

NFFOm n btan correspondent
LINCOLN. Aus. 1s.-CspeciaI)-Closer or
ganizstion Of city schools. an increase In
the average salary paid to the teachers
OF both rural and city schools aud a de-
crease in the number Of school buildings
through consolidation are among the
changes predicted by State Superintendent
Fowler to take place in the school condi-
tions of Nebraska during the remainder OF
the decade.
Mr.. Fowler is Just completing a cam
paign with the teachers Institutes through
out the state. He has visited upward Of
half Of the counties, and his predictions
are based largely upon his own observation
of actual conditions.
II feel safe in predicting a much closer
organization OF the city schools" said Mr..
Fowler. II believe all the city superin-
tendents and principals will be required
by law to make as complete reports and
to furnish as accurate statistics as the
county superintendents now are. and that
their work will be done more systemati-
oally. There will be a revision OF the
method Of assessment and levying of taxes
before 1910 and q consequent reduction Of
the minimum levy.
Let US hope that the number of men
teachers employed, which decreased 30 per
cent during the past decade. will increase,
while the number Of women teachers,
which decreased only about 4 per cent. will
lTemsin stationary. In this connection I
would call attention to the fact that the
laverage monthly wages Of men during the
ten years increased 1875. while that Of the
women decreased S1.02. In both there should
kand must be a material increase IL we wish
10 keep In the profession the better qualified
tpersons.
Changes In the schools.
~ believe that in 1910 the enrolment
will be q larger percentage Of the school
population than In 1900, but what is Of
vastly more Importance, the average daily
attendance Will be a much larger per cent
Iof the enrolment and of the school census
than In 1900. The number of sod and log
:school buildings in the state will rapidly
kdecrease and the number Of frame school
buildings will slightly decrease. while the
number Of brick buildings will increase.
During the next ten years, there will be
. decrease In the total number Of school
buildings in the state Of Nebraska through
1.-THE consolidation OF rural school districts.
There will be a material increase in the
length Of the term in many school districts
lot the state; and let US hope that in 1910
eur county superintendents will average ct
least 1900 q year each. Our state teach
ers' association. our great university and
0TF stats sSEEisi school VII increase .hs!.
enrolment materially. There will then be
three state normal schools. In 1910 in
many of the rural portions Of the state
the farmers. children will have the same
advantages Of education in a we'll arranged,
well organised, we'll graded school that the
village and city pupils now enjoy.
Bniiains Up the Courses.
Instead Of attempting to let down our
hooks and nets ana tackles and lines from
the university in 1910, we will build from
AsA hndereArtsp< up Carrying the better
features Of the kindergarten through the
primary grades. correlatine with II manual
training and domestic science and eie-
mentary agriculture In the grammar grades,
and better preparing our pupils for practi-
cal life by giving more attention to the
scientific side and less to the classical side
than We did In 1890, or, than we do now.
In 1910 we will distinguish between one,
two. three and four year high schools. their
diplomas. certificates and their graduates,
- we now distinguish between university
graduates ana those who complete only
the Junior year. or perhaps the sophmore
year. or only the freshman year: or as we
distinguish between those who complete
the eighth. seventh, sixth. ana nth grades
respectively In tho grammar department.
"A high school graduate then will be one
who has completed the three-thirds OF our
public school system. including the high
school department OF four years. In 1910
the high schools OF the state will be as
free to the children Of the farmer and the
stock raiser as they now are to the chill
dren OF the merchant, the banker and the