The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-07-03
OPPOSES CONSOLIDATION.
Mankato Citizen Expresses Himself
on Point in Minnea polls Tribune.

From Fridays Daily.
Some one in Mankato writes the fol-
towing to The Minneapolis Tribune:
"Your editorial columns have been a
source of keen satisfaction for a year
or more to those who have the welfare of
our public schools at heart, and who are
interested in having the best results pos
sible therefrom, because of your plain
and fearless attacks on the modern, i'll
advised methods being constantly en-
ployed and pointing out the tendency of
the schools, especially in the village and
cities, to another the practical part of
education for the visionary and theore-
teal. You are doing good work, and
many men and women who do not have
the opportunity to speak to thousands as
you do are adding their protests by word
OF mouth all over this country. Your
service in this direction may never be re-
warded as it should be, but the merit in
your cause is justification enough for
your course.
'There is one feature of educational
work in this state at present which the
writer would like to suggest is along
wrong lines, although originated and con-
stantly advocated by those high in au-
thority in educational circles, and who,
it would seem, should take more prac
interested in developing our school sys-
tenn. We refer to the proposition to Gen.
tralize the country district schools into
graded township schools, thus centraliz-
ing the several district schools in each
township into one larger school with
more extended facilities and with a
broader curriculum.
en- move, and that such a step will be the
finishing stroke in the destruction of the
common school system of the country,
as conceived and put in force by the
wise founders of the government. The
value of any educational system does
not depend on giving to a favored few
well-rounded out education in a broad
course of study, but in giving the mil
lions of individual citizens an every
day, working education along practical
and useful lines, that they may become
more homogeneous in character, in ten
dency of thought, in manner of living,
and, on the whole, may all better citi-
zens. This scope or conception of an
education for the masses would cover
what we choose in this day to call the
common branches, or common school
foundation, thorough, sensible and prac-
tical, giving each citizen of equal intel
ligence an equal chance in life. In fact,
simplicity, thoroughness and equality
were the three great essentials had in
mind by the founders.
eff this be the correct conception of
what the common school system was in
tended for, it is then wise to ascertain
what branch of our educational forces
is and has been more nearly fulfilling this
mission. We will venture the assertion
that the country district school, as con-
stituted and conducted today, east, west,
north and south, is doing the best work
along this line, and, in fact, it is the
only school today that is hugging right
down to the idea of the original found
ers, and that has not gotten beyond it..
The city and village school has gotten
over and beyond this plain,practical con-
ception of the public duty to the masses
in matters of education and have become
top-heavy, loaded beyond endurance, and
the purpose for which the common school
system was originated has been almost
wholly destroyed. In these schools the
public is doing too much, has abandoned
The simple, plain course thought out by
our forefathers, and the results are tax
burdened communities, physical wrecks,
insufficient graduates, mental and intel
lectual weaklings by the thousand
"The undesirable results enumerated
come from great congestion of education
al facilities, broadening and loading down
the courses with more than the average
mind can master, save to get a mere
smattering of many things, and no ro-
bust, practical knowledge of any. If the
rural schools are centralized, it will not
BE- long until they will be run on the
same system as the village and city
school, be loaded down with the same
fads and ungodly facilities, and we can
then chant the requiem of the grandest
system of education ever established, and
which has done so much to make this
the most forceful nation in the world.
Let the Capitalization of the rural school
be talked down, and leave it, where it Is.
adding such improvement from time to
time as can be done without changing its
wholesome character"