Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-04-01

To the fact that the fault was not in
the teacher, but i'm the system.
Many of our rural teachers are
faithful, efficient workers. but are
handicapped by their environ
mentS.
Now. if the superintendent has
cleared his own mind of all doubts
and fears. and is ready to enlist his
talent and energy in the work, the
next essential Is to convince his
people that great advantages are in
store for them and their children
from the proposed change. 1t is
evident that our people. after hay
inc been fed for years on vague
and impracticablc theories, booms.
and wooden nutmegs, are not very
kindly disposed toward apparent
innovations. This i natural and
right, bat ON the other hand our
people are living for their children.
and in their children, and are ever
ready to make any reasonable sac
rifice for their comfort and advan-
tagc- Hence there * nothing more
To do than to lay before them the
plain. ungarnishcd facts. which fall
fully within the scope of their gen
eral business habits. BY simply
calling their attention to the sub
Ject, they will see that the number
of pupils, to a considerable extent.
has nothing 10 do with the teachers
work; it Is the number of things
he has TO teach that taxes his energy
and sometimes causes him to pray
for the sun to stand still until ne
finishes the wearying battle of the
day. Now let Us make a practical
application of some of the above
concessions. Bring together two.
three. or even four Of these small
rural schools. 1t Is easy to see
that IN many cases You need not
form single new class. nor make
any class too large. Hence. four
schools are now in shape to be
taught 10y one teacher without any
appreciate loss in his efficiency.
His classes, of course. are larger.
but anyone would rather teach ten
or twelve pupils in a class than one
or two, as Is often the case i'm the
small single school. On the other
hand, if YOU wish To retain the four
teachers in the combined school.
their efficiency will be increased
nearly fourfold by this classifying
and grading of the pupils: and
classes that had to be heard i'm the
single school in from three to five
minutes. can now have from fifteen
TO twenty minutes. When we
reflect that a large number of
pupils in public schools depend
almost entirely upon the recitation
for their progress. this increased
time Is of incalculable value.
Again, if a child's education can he
pushed as far in one wear in the
combined school As it can in several
years in the ungraded school.
another great advantage is secured
TO parents who need their children
IN the battle with the persistent
wolf. One more advantage must
be noted before passing on. Every
farther and mother is anxious to
have the care and companionship
of their sons and daughters through
this plastic and formative period of
life, and this can be secured only
by building up good schools in
reach of these many homes.
The third essential to be consid-
cred Is suitable houses. The old
houses are not large enough for the
new schools, and are not suitably
located. Then new houses must
be built. For many reasons they
should be built of brick, wherever
this is practicable. The brick
house Is closer, more easily kept
comfortable, much more durable
and IN this age of scarcity of tim
Der, nearly as cheap as wooden
house. These large houses of any
kind of material, are expensive.
and cannot be built rapidly with the
small yearly allowance for this
purpose. Many of our small
houses, built at a low price. of
cheap material, and suffered to
stand for years without paint. are
now in such condition that they |
will soon have to be replaced by |
new ones. If we build the large !
central houses instead of rebuilding
so many of these small ones, there |
can be but little loss of money in
tha poattar of bu;II,no~ If - - /