The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-06
REUSED THEIR IRE
Paper That Stirred the Feelings of
Supts. of County Schools
BY sUPT. w. A. FREEMAN
A Plan of State Inspection for Rural
Schools Remedy of Many
Evils. as,Eg

of Blue Earth county read a paper in the
county superintendent section of the
Minnesota Educational association, at st.
Paul. last week, which brought on merry
war in the section and was one of the
chief topics of conversation in the con-
yention. While Mr.. Freeman consented
to expunge some paragraphs from his
paper before it's publication in the official
records, it was not from any qhange OF
conviction on his part but out of con-
sideration for the feelings of some OF his
colleagues who felt that they had been
maligned by his plain speaking.
All of the statements4in the paper found
many to support them in the section, and
perhaps a far larger proportion among
the teachers outside who were not d.
rectly involved. 1t was pronounced case
of punching shoe"
The most grieyous offense in Mr.. Free
mans paper was the statement OF his be-
lief that nineteen out of twenty super1n-
tendents would stifle their convictions and
yield to political pressure and subject the
schools to the rule Of insuttclency. IN
replying to the attacks made on the paper
Mr.. Freeman undertook to test this point
by asking all superintendent who had
refused to sign applications for state aid
to any district on the ground that 1T had
a double artitioned outbuilding, which is
expressly forbidden by the law, to rise.
There were two responses, and Mr. Free
man believes that, if other points mad
been taken up, not one could a1lrm tnat
all Of the districts whose applications ne
had signed had fully met in spirit and
letter the requirements of the law govern
ing state aid.
State Inspection.
Mr.. Freeman's much-mooted presenta-
ton of the question of Estate Inspection
of Semi-Graded and First, Grade Rural
~ IN, c,1hS q
Ii it can be held that there is any class
Of schools that deserves more than another
the fostering and oversight OF the state,
it is the rural schools. The country child
needs education as much as any other. More
over, the life of the city must be replenishee
and invigorated by drafts upon the country
youth At the very best, the country child
will always be handicapped in his efforts to
secure an education. 1t is to the advantage
of the state that these disadvantages should
be reduced to a minimum and not be aggra-
waited by any removable defects Of admin
istration, supervision or inspection.
The first question to be asked, then, and
a vitality important one, is whether the state
is making all possible efforts to secure to the
country youth an equal share in the privl-
leges and opportunities for securing an ele-
mentary education, which is the birthright
Of every American citizen. To this question
there can be given but one answer, and that
Of to-day Is as good as it was in the time of
grandfathers is not a question of vital
Importance at this time, and in it's discus
sion we would only waste our energy The
undeniable fact to which attention should
be directed is this: that the rural schools are
by no means as good as they ought to be;
that they do not compare with the city schools
and that they are not keeping pace with the
educational progress of the times.
1t is deDlOrable fact that country DeOple
are not at present eXerting themselves to such
degree, or making such sacrifices in the
cause Of commons school education as they
once did l sincerely believe that the cause
Of this condition may be traced to the fact
that the city schools have outstripped the
rural schools in educational progress, and to
the fact that our state legislature has almost
entirely ignored the rural schools Of the state,
while 1t has dealt most literally with the
high schools, normal schools and university
Are these conditions true? They are believed
to be true by the men and women engaged
in educational work; they are believed to be
true by thousands Of parents struggling to
educate their children in rural schools; they
are believed to be true not only in this state
but in every state in the union.
Mr.. Freeman here detailed the recent
efforts to improve the rural schools by
state aid first offered in 1897 in a limited
way. He continued:
Plea for Consolidation.
believe that all persons who give this
matter thoughtful consideration will agree
that the time has arrived when many dis
tricts should be consolidated, and that it is
by no means beyond the range Of wisdom and
good business judgment to further increase
the state aid until all are served. There is
question as to the right of the state to tax
all the people and disburse 1t among favored
districts; for this reason the state aid should
be Increased from time to time until all
receive a share.
No one will question but that the state
Legislature has put itself in such position that
responsibility rests upon it directly for wise
action in providing for such inspection of
those eschools receiving the aid as shall pre-
Vent the ncEey raised by general, taxa
ton from being spent in any way but that
which Is most effective in securing the results
aimed at by the imposition Of such tax, No
one will take exceptions to the statement that
the average principal superintendent Of
high and graded schools is better equipped
educationally and professionally than the av-
erage county superintendent; and, therefore,
correspondingly better able to supervise and
inspect the schools under his charge. In the
race OF this undeniable fact, the state pro-
vides for other inspection than that of the
principal Or superintendent of the schools re-
ceivng the aid. -
Those who have given the matter of state
inspection Of high and graded schools some
consideration, VIII not question for a mo-
ment but that the greatest good has come
from 1t. The inspectors Of these schools 90
from one town or city to another, carrying
with them the best ideas or methods Of any
and all the schools inspected. Except in very
extraordinary and highly justiiable cases.
these Inspectors do not attempt to dictate to
the principals or superintendent of such city
schools A wise inspector of high or graded
schools will unite his authority with the
influence Of the principal or superintendent.
and, together, will secure, through the board
OF education, such buildings, such apparatus
ana such teachers as the conditions of the
school may require. How many times have
l, and how many times have you, heard prin-
cipaIs and superintendent express a wish
that the inspector might come in order that
necessary changes might be made in teachers
or school equipments.
Unfortunately we only stayed in Seattle
Wash, for one afternoon, SO I could not
see very much of the town, but here had
my first experience with an American
hotel, an elevator, colored walters and
a good dinner. 1 must say that although
we were accustomed to live well in Japan.
ana often were Wined and dined at friends
houses and at the best hotels, it remained
for the hotel at Seattle to furnish me with
a better dinner than 1 ever remember
having had. The beefsteak we had there
was as much superior to the best steak
we get N Yokohama as the people of
America are to those of Japan, and every
thlng else that. appeared on the table was
or the same superior order, and after all
IT cost rather less than more than a sim
liar dinner would have cost in a first
class hotel in Yokohama or Toxic. And
oh! the service! We had just come from