The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1903-02-20

h''eho 'nce Oh pupils may not be NOR
than twenty, all grades aud ages viii
De represented, from the big cir
ready for the high school down to tn,
little one who is just below leal age ant
is sent to school to get out Of he,
busy mothers way: The pupils live
at various distances from the school
house and usually walk. In in.
cl,ment weather they attend very ir-
regularly, and in all weathers with lit.
tie punctuality.
The short term makes it difficult.
too, for pupil to complete the
study ofa textbook, since every new
teacher wishes her pupils to make a
new start. naturally the ambitious
student becomes discouraged and
makes every effort to 20 awav to a
better school, while the careless 90 on
from year to year without acquiring
even an elementary knowledge of the
branches whiea make a common
school education.
In an effort to improve these con.
dltlons, the plan of consolidatiue
several rural districts into one has.
in certain States. been tried with
great success. 1t has been found
that four districts may unite to build
schooihouse central to them all which
IS snitable f,r agrAded school. Three
teachers can do more than four had
been able to do in the seperate districs.
II part of this plan is the convey
ing ct chita,-u 10 ana from the
school. Certain farmers who live at
the greatest distance in each direction
make daily trips with their spring
wagons picking up the school children
along their routes and returning with
them in the afternoon, service for
whichthey receive from the district due
remuneration. Those living farthest
from the school building at first feared
that their land would depreciate in
value on eccount of their distance
from the schoolhouse. 1t has been
found on the contrary that a farm
four or fvcl lmiles from a good school,
but from which children are comfort
ably transported Nit worth more
than than one " Sh is much nearer to an
rem mustwalk over bid "a f6atdfse. atdfe child
This consolidation plan has been
found very successful in mahy places,
and is now authorized by law in
seventeen States 1t has many ad.
van.ages. 1t is more economical,
since it reduces the cost of education
per capita and thus gives larger fund
for the employment of teachers and
II surplus for other expences. 1t
gives much better facilities for
grading and classifying pupils, and
certainly promotes punctuality and
regularity of attendance.
The country school should be the
ideal place for childhood. The sur
rouDdings which nature furnishes
are far more inspiring than the city
child must see from the school win
dews. The teacher in the country
school has the advantage of being able
to know personally every child and
its home circle, and so has far greater
opportunities TOR helpfulness than a
teacher in large school in town.
10 these inherent advantages of
the rural school the consolidated
school will add the increased comfort
of the little ones as they 60 and cone,
and the educative influence of larger
interests, a wider outlook and contact
with more and more varied associates.
1t will tend to destroy that isolation
which Bishop Gambler and ether
careful observes have pronounced the
bane of rural life in the South
Christian Advocate.