The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-02-19
COUNTRY
SCHOOLS
DECLINE
President Iowa Normal
Speaks
Educational Profession Not
Normal
Iowa
Speaks
President
Educational Profession Not
Keeping Pace


Teaching must be treated as a bust.
ness and a salary must be paid each
teacher that will guarantee a fair liy.
ing. and until this is possible the
rural schools cannot be any better
than they are today as the practice Of
making teaching a makeshlft and an
accidental employment guaranteed
that economic laws and common
sense will both continue 10 be violated
and our schools will be worthy Of rid
icule and contumely. The rural
schools are just as good today as the
conditions existing permit them 10
be- They are not as good as the total
amount of money expended should
make them If the schools we're man
aged and conducted as we do other
kinds Of business Hence the crit
cisms that have been made are well
taken and they are not well taken
President Shelton's Des Moines ad.
dress, taken as a whole, deserves
praise because what he says as q
whole IS true and cannot be gain.
sayed. but taken sentence by sen.
tence in part cannot be true. because
condemns indiscriminately and there
are schools and schools. even among
rural schools President Shelton be
lieves that our rural schools are man.
aged most eXtravagantly and he has
reason 10 think so because all money
so poorly expended that It brings IT,
tie or no results Is practically wasted
from the taxpayers standpoint. Be.
cause OF the fact that history shows
that good share OF the most effective
and successful men have come from
the country it Is evident that all the
child has is a chance for a great ele.
mentary education In order to enable
him 20 compete with his city cousin
IL Is for this reason that the teachers
OF Iowa are calling attention to the.
great deficiencies In the country
schools. The country school II Il has
as good teaching and as comfortable
a room and as good an attendance,
but il must have certain essential con.
dltions 90 accomplish the purpose
for which Il is maintained More than
half the students of the state normal
school are from these country
schools; they are the equal OF their
city cousins in every respect excep
that kind Of preparation that the
schools give. The city school pupi'
has the advantage In teachers school
rooms equipment and associates and |
thus gets more education for his time |
and money.
More than half the pupils in the |
Iowa schools are in those rural ais. |
tricts, and more than half Of the peo- |
pie beyond scheol age have received
all their education from these rural
schools. II is easy TO come 10 wrong |
conclusions regarding the results
OF our educational efforts. Because
a large number Of successful men and
women were once pupils In rural
schools Is no reason 20 assume hat
such opportunity, as the rural schools
give is responsible for that success
since IL Is rather 90 be Inferred that
there are many reasons for SUCCESS.
and that elementary education Is but
one OF the factors that contribute 10
power and efficiency Hence il Is not
correct 20 assume that our rural
schools are good because some of
their pupils became distinguished and
effective Present day civilization
witnesses progress on every hand and |,
It is right 20 Insist on this progress
As being in our schools as well as IN
ihe other elements Of activity and de
yelopment.
An inventory of the results being
accomplished viii show that there has
leen more progress In merchandising
arming architecture, art. transporta.
lon' aud business OF an sorts than
here has been IN the rural schools
Ne have better newspapers. better
hurches, better railways. etc. than
orty years ago, an OF which demand
better preparation In our schools
ban was necessary forty years aeo.
nd YET the rural school. with am these
eeds. Is unable under the present
onditions 20 meet these demands az
he time. The public sentiment OF The
resent Is IN favor OF better teachers
''ter school houses better opportun.
les OF the best kind for the children 3