Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-05-12

cient encouragement TO urse its advisa'
bility upon the legislature of this state
Reports. from townships in Iowa where
consolidation has been adopted have
been extremely favorable and indicate
\ that once inaugurated the expense OF
little If any greater than that created
by the scattered sub district plan now
lin vogue. In many instances the eX-
pense has been slightly increased: IN
others the decrease has been as noticea-
bic. So far as expense is concerned
reports show an even balance between
the two methods
The advantages of the township
school system are obvious. Better
per capita cost: better school buildings
erected with view to comfort, health
END efficiency; larger classes and con-
Isequently greater interest and compe-
| tltion among pupils; Il larger enroll
Iment, greater punctuality and complete
classification and grading. which will
complete a properly pronortioned edu-
| ton. These are some of the die :
advantages afforded by the township
school over the disconnected and often
| ili-managed sub district schools, where
| nepotiscl and jealousy enter so largely
| into the teachers acceptance or rejac-
;icn. With these advantages to be- Sc
cured at an expense no greater than the
sub district r. IN there would seem 10
serious addition to the farmers bu.drn
| in its adoption.
| The township school brings the high
school to the farm and offers the aver
age boy an education beyond the fifth
| reader. Grinnell. the seat of Iowa Col
| lege, is growing rapidly by the reverse
process. The farms are coming to the
cuses for it's population of nearly 5000
are the students of the State Normal
and the multitude of farmers who, like
Mohammed, have grown tired of wait
| ing for the mountain to come to them
ard, like the prophet, have gone to the
mountain. The ambitious pupil and the
ambitious parent desire a better school
| than the lax system of our present
| country schools can give them. A great
advantage of Capitalization is that the
pupil can stay at home, where children
of high school age belong. and without
added expense secure high school edu-
cation No one will doubt that this will
have its effect upon the tide which at
present sets from the country to the
! city much to the detriment of the agri-
cultural districts 1t is better to have
an owner than tenant on the farm.
| Already eastern investors contem-
plating farm purchase n the west are
asking. Have you hack service to a
central school2" 1t is precisely as they
asked for the telephone and the mail
route. School consolidation is certain
|
has been established. The old time idea
that children must stagger thru snow
drifts or mud and face the winds of
/ winter time for perhaps a mile and a
half, to sit in draughty schoolhouse
and stagger back again AZ night 10 their
homes, is relic of the sodhouse period.
Most parents now proviee for carrying
children to school on stormy days. The
| We'll warmed hack in charge of Il COM
whose charge the children are safe from
accident or evil influences. is simply an
ievidence of enlightenment. 1t is not a
burden when it costs no more than
Walking. The immunity it affords from
| diseases incident upon exposure is an
added value not to be forgotten in the
reckoning.
| Beyond its technical value as a school
| the central schoolhouse is certain to
| have a heneticent effec. on the entire
community. There is little left for
which the farmer need remove to the
| city except school advantages and op-
portunity for culture and entertain-
ment He has already his daily mail
and his telephone. The township school
house will provide for his children's
higher education and al the same time
furnish an auditorium OF which lecture
bureaus will be prompt TO take advan-
tage. Gradually the sckoolhouse will
grow to be the social and intellectual
center of the community. community
sufficiently populous to indulge in
course of lectures or other entertain
ments to its intellectual and social bet
terment. More than this it will keep
the boys at home. The library will at
tract the more studious. athletics vii.
bind the township schociboys together
as they do the high school and college
students The same inducements that
are now acting as a magnet to draw
from the rural population to the cities
will operate to hold it's inhabitants to
the country and to bring back those
who have already gone. This is the age
of expansion. The country must fall III
step or lag behind. The Capitalization
of its schools seems an opportunity too