Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-11-07

Lie CEOWuluS SlOIy VI Jul PNOAiO
schools is that they blend the children
of all nationalities, all social condl-
tions, every political creed and rellg--
ious faith, and make them know and
understand one another in early life,
and mould them into American citl-
zens, the future guardians OF our great
republic.
A review of the past year assures us
that while no very great strides have
been made toward the elevation of our
schools, and the advancement of public
education, yet no retrograde movement
has occurred. The work is of such a
character that changes must necessar-
lily be gradual and slow. The evidenc-
es of apparent Improvement are to be
found in better qualifications of teach
ars, ia a more liberal supply of text
books, in better school buildings, IN
enlarged district libraries, and in q
growing popular sentiment to cooper
ate with teachers in enforcing needed
discipline. Measured by these stand
ards, we can truly say that the past
year has had it's fruits in the educa-
tional field as well as in it's abundant
agricultural harvest.
SCHOOLS OF THE COUNTY.
Grant county is divided, for school
purposes, into two-hundred and twenty
school districts. embracing thirty-two
towns, light incorporated villages and
three lies.
Their are twelve free high schools,
nine havinga 4-years' course, and Ghree
having 3-years' course.
There were graduated from these
high schools this year thirty-eight
males and sixty eight females many of
whom will enter at once into the work
Of teaching without further prepare
ton.
This is to be regretted, for the oppor-
tunities for training are SO convenient
and ample that all should be encour
aged to take, at least, partial course
in a Normal school.
SCHOOLS ENTITLED TO STATE AID.
There are eight graded schools of
two departments each. These schools,
by recent law, may receive state aid
to the amount of one hundred dollars
each on complying with certain re-
quirements, which are only necessary
conditions which ought to exist in
every school. Five of these schools
cheerfully meet the requirements and
receive the state aid; two others de-
cline to meet the requirements and one
has been organized during the present
year.
CONSOLIDATION AND TRANSPORTATION.
There are many districts in the coun-
ty having few children of school age
where the school term is short and
wages low because the school is small.
The evident remedy for this seems to
be-uniting several districts, building
a central school house and organizing
a graded school, then transporting the
children to and from school.
A graded school has fuller and
more complete course of study, is much
more efficient in it's work, and the pu-
pills are, under this arrangement, en-
abled to do advanced work and yet re-
main at home.
These are important facts and should
receive due consideration when the
consolidation Of districts is suggested.
NUMBER OF TEACHERS EMPLOYED.
The twelve graded schools. each of
which eliminates in high school de-
partm ent, employ ninety-five teachers;
the eight graded schools employ seven
teen teachers; and the two hundred
rural schools employ one teacher each,
making total of three hundred twelve
teachers at work when all the schools
are in session. No other county in the
state has so many teachers under the
supervision Of the county superintend-
ent.
INSPECTION OF SCHOOLS.
The country schools vary in length
from seven to nine months, though all
are in session during the fall and win
ter months, when the attendance
reaches it's highest limit. To visit and
inspect these schools requires many
hundreds of miles of travel, and in or
der to see them when the attendance
is greatest and most regular much of
this travel must be done during the
late fall and winter months when the
roads and the weather are at their
worst.
CAPABLE TEACHERS SHOULD BE EMPLOYED.
1t is matter of regret that SO many
districts change teachers several times
during the school year. Instead of en-
gaging a capable teacher for the
entire year, a young, inexperienced
teacher is employed at low wages for
the fall term, then another, perhaps
a male teacher is employed for the
winter term, and possibly another,
probably a female, is engaged for
the spring term.
This is wretched economy, and
occasions much loss of time and
energy on the part of both teacher
and children. These changes also
work great confusion in the School
Records and make it next to impossi-
BILE for the Clerk to make correct
report of the work OF his school at
the end of the school year.
Employ capable, efficient teacher
to take charge of your school for
the entire year; visit your school,
support and assist him in its organiza-
ton and management, and, unless
absolutely necessary, make no change
in the administration or work of the
school.
ATTENDANCE AND GRADUATION OF PUPILS.
Section 439 of the School Code
says-"The board has power to make
all needful rules and regulations for