The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-06
Improving Rural Schools.

put1nS about.
Improving Rural Schools.
Township consolidation of rural district
schools, agricultural instruction In rural
schools. nature study and manual train
ing have long been afforded by
the public schools of the United
States in some states and some
places, but Canada is about to experiment
with a symmetrical combination of all
these methods of improving and practi-
calizing rural public school instruction in
such a thoro manner as has never been
tried in the republic
The undertaking is a result Of the com
bination of the ideas Of Professor James
w. Robertson. commissioner of agricul-
ture and dairying for the Dominion, and
the money of Sir William Macdonald of
Montreal, sometimes styled the Carnegie
Of Canada.
Sir William has long evinced great in
terest in the work Of getting public
schools more in touch with real life, and
during the last three years has with Pro
lessor Robertsons aid introduced manual
instruction into twenty-one Canadian
towns and cities. Sir Williams aid of
this training ends this year, and hence
forth the municipalities will maintain the
course. the three years trial having con-
WINGED them of Its utility.
In the Worlds Work. George lies out
lines the Macdonald Robertson plan for
the improvement of rural school instruc-
ton, and remarks that never before has
individual enterprise been bold enough to
plan reform in tho instruction of great
commonwealth and pave the way to sue
cess by a generous and shrewd appeal to
local pride and public spirit
The program Of reform is to take effect
next September and is to affect each of
the five old provinces Of the Dominion,
Quebec Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Ed
wards Island and New Brunswick. In
each Of these provinces there will be es-
tablished a Macdonald Consolidated
rural school, following the model Of Gus
ing each school will be met by the Mac
Donald fund, and for three years the same
fund will pay the expenses of conveyance
and maintenance beyond the present cost
Of the separate schools that are to be
superseded. The schools are to be made
the best of their kind in the world, and
will be managed by the regular school
boards. 1t is hoped that after three years
the boards will be willing to carry them
on at public cost. Besides these CONSOLE
dations, groups of five or six ordinary
rural schools. in each province. will be
placed under the supervision of a travelling
instructor. It is evidently the plan to at
tempt to introduce practical instruction
whether consolidation of schools is OBJ
tanned or not
1t will require ten instructors to look
after these five consolidated schools and
five groups of rural schools. Eleven
young men have been specially trained
for the work by courses at the University
Of Chicago Cornell university agricul-
tural college and the teachers college at
Columbia university. These instruct
ors will conduct courses Of nature study.
manual training and household science
Every school will be surrounded by a
garden, and in addition, on plots ten feet
square will be planted wheat, potatoes.
clover and corn. Botany will be studied
in practical fashion, the insects will be
closely observed the value of the rotation
of crops will be taught. The winter les-
sons will include the chemical side of ag-
riculture, and the year around there will
be manual training and courses in house
hold science. The girls will be instructed
in sewing, cooking and the elements of
housekeeping; the boys will be taught
drawing and the use of simple tools. cat
every point the school will be dovetaied
into the home, the farm, the Workshop
the smithy and the factory"
This. educational undertaking gives 2,
good illustration of the way in which the
development of Canada will benefit the
United States. That development is Civ
ing US neighbor from whom we can
learn in return for what it learns from us.
1t is not to be doubted that this Mae.
Donald Robertson experiment Will stimu-
late American educators and phlan-s
thropists and school boards to undertake
similar, work. The United States is an
immense agricultural country, and Moth
ing can be of more benefit to our people
than to make the next generation of farm
ers lovers Of the country. proud Of their
occupation and experts.
..A