The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1902-02-28
.a.,sonidation Of 9 Country
Schools.

r.o IDEA of consolidating the
eoantry schools Isl 1s 81, one soma tnas Tina mas
oesn = - oninion, it is the way, and
I. 4 Is only way Of educating the =!
las laa1orad r youths in the public
colo.J .ools. Under the present sys-
scnOi " 4 i on. of the question TO
em saucste :, them to any beneficial
suuv l.ant Think Of from q hum
sssdIg sssd to a hundred and forty chill
aleu aIeu II one school, all Of whom
a.sa " aannervised and and taught by
s,s s,,. T. tapcher. It's nothing more
orl y Iess than a waste Of money to
:, ~ -, ] teacher to keep can not
psy lsy teach-a school like this. Il
sas ,sou,d take one teacher all Of his
! ,;we suet to keep order One can not
~ y enough actual reaching to
Ieep te up the little interest which
~, ana few pupils possibly had
Sheu sJ they stared to school.
TEACHERS attend the summer
rormals and county institutes,
ss Mar and discuss plans Of teaching
and I for what? Can they put
them a into practice in this condi-
t;on . Of affairs? ! have been
teaching tor twelve or fifteen
wears; and with a.retrospective
Glance over the work done during
his his time, I can rot see enough
GOOD accomplished. considering
the time and actual work done.
# would be easy TO see that ! am
failure and retire to the shades,
but for the fact that the same IS
true Of all teachers, where schools
are supervised after the manuer
described. 1t is not my object
to under estimate the interest OF
the teachers nor to magnify their
inability to teach the schools
when | speak Of the little good
that is being done, but ! mean to
say that owing to the circum-
stances, interest and ability can
accomplish but little more than
i lack of interest and ability.
Now if it is not unconstitutional
and contrary to constitutional
distribution to use the funds IN
this way, think the following
plan would be a success: Unite
five or ten schools, and employ
sufficient number Of teachers.
To this school there should be a
boarding department. and each
parent should be required to bring
provisions sufficient to board his
children. These children should
be under the control of the teach
ers, aud should be allowed to go
home as often as the wisdom Of the
majority of the teachers decides.
There should be q book keeper,
whose business it would be to
keep an account of the provisions
and notify the parents
from time to time of what is re-
quired of them. Iwould consider
the managing force complete
with the addition of a superln-
tendent, whose business it should
be to minutely scrutinize the
affairs pertaining to the school,
set Alright or have set Alright
any wrongs that he might find
therein.
do not mean that this plan OF
conducting the school is the best
plan. I merely suggest it in
order to call out better plans
rom others; but do mean that
The consolidated school, conduct
ID on any wise plan, would be an
Improvement on the present sys-
em. Some would possibly speak
IT the Consolidated school as
icing too expensive; but some OF
he expense could be off set by a
horter term. A pupil can get
more good out of eighty days put
n during four months than he
an out of eighty days irregularly
'ut in during eight months. Ii
he money would run the. schools
lalf as long as they run under
ne present system, / venture to
ay the good resulting would be
'rebled.
Many may object to the consol-
dQfod cohn.~l k,,oo raa fha class