Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1903-04-16

ularly their children are attending
school, and do not realize the great
harm they are doing the children by
keeping them out of school.
"Many parents feel obliged to have
the help of their children, not realiz-
ing that time well spent in school is
worth vastly more than the amount
they would earn at hOme.'
The law on compulsory attendance
is changed to enforce attendance, not
I3 months per year, but for all the
time school is in session.
Several OF the directors gave per-
sonal experiences in trying to enforce
attendance, and it was the common
opinion that the law is evaded, and
promises are made and not kept, and
in short that the enforcing of the law
should be the last resort, and other
means, such as more attractive
schools and school houses etc, should
be tried.
The superintendent thought it a
good plan to give the scholar who
has attended regularly certificate of
perfect attendance at the end of the
month, and on obtaining three of
these the county superintendent is
sue larger certificate, ,as is She prac-
tice in some counties. All agreed that
more perfect attendance would in
crease the efficiency of the country
school.
In the afternoon, Superintendent
W. L. Sockwell, Pres. G. A. McFar-
land of Valley City Normal, and
Prof. G. G. Schmidt of the city
schools we're present.
The county superintendent opened
the discussion by talk on the needs
of the school house, urging the d.
rectors to supply plenty of good black
boards and up-to-date outline maps,
Webster's international Dictionary
as required by lava good clock, plen-
ty of light,attractive buildings, made
so by fresh paint, wall paper, ample
ground and trees etc. He then made
plea for longer terms of school. The
country boy needs at least eight
months. He certainly cannot do in
five or six months what the town
boy does in nine.
The course of study is designed for
an months school year, and it hand
leaps both teacher and scholar to fail
to finish the course for the year in
any one year, and it certainly makes
it very difficult for the county super
intendent to keep track of the differ
ent schools if one starts out with
first months work, another with fifth
month of last year, etc.
Supt. Stockwell spoke at length of
the laws pertaining to education pas
sed at recent session of the legisla-
ture. The library law provides that
the school board shall expend each
year not less than ten nor more than
twenty-five dollars for each school
or separate department. He spoke of
the value of good library land urged
the officers not to fail to comply
with the law in this regard. The law
relating to consolidation of schools,
and the transportation of scholars to
to other schools, and thus provide
schooling for every scholar in the dis
trict, was generally discussed. The
law has been changed requiring at
least months school in each school
or otherwise providing for the schol-
ars; that schools may be consolidated
on majority vote instead of two
thirds and requires petition OF one.
third of the voters instead OF one
half to call election.
Supt. Stockwell gave many instan-
ces when such consolidation has
proved satisfactory in North Dakota
ana said that wherever tried it had
proved successful, and that whole
counties in North Dakota are work.
ing under that law.
President Mcfarland gave an in
teresJing talk on the value of educa-
tion, and of the elements which enter
into it's requirement.
Supt. Schmidt spoke Of Jamestown
nigh school and its relation to the
country schools. The state gives SUBJ
stantial aid to high schools, and in
turn these give tuition free. 1t
should be the aim of the country
boy not to stop when he has finished
the eighth grade in the country
school, but to continue his education
by means of the high school.
In jamestown High school there
are about Is students from outside Of
jamestown. Compared With some
other towns of about the same size as
jamestown, there should be twice
the attendance from outside.
The directors made use of a short
time remaining to ask more fully
about some of the new laws, then the
,nootincy o6ionrnad snhioct tn the call