The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1904-02-13

OOhS6So' III NY OplnlOu, HOlHlub Will
so bring the State University into the
affections of our rural people as the
supplying of this connecting link be-
tween their present schools and the
university. 1t will also have the eff
feet Of keeping a great many boys and
girls at home in the schools that other
wise go to the Agricultural and Me-
chanical College and the Industrial In
stitute and College, thus crowding
these institutions with students pur-
suing preparatory work and material
ly interfering with their regular work
The trustees of the Agricultural and
Mechanical College, because of the
overcrowding of the institution by this
character of students, passed resolu-
ton denying admittance into the pre-
| paratory department of that institu-
tion to any student who lives near
school of sufficiently high grade to pre-
pare him for the first college class.
After a careful study of this propo-
| sition, | am convinced that if such
schools are to be had the State must
| help the rural districts, and l would
| respectfully recommend that where
small villages or rural communities
will voluntarily organize themselves
into districts of not less than sixteen
square miles and containing not less
than one hundred and fifty educable
children, the power of local taxation
be given them on condition that they
provide suitable house, elect compe-
tent teachers, levy local tax, and
maintain a high school for not less
than seven scholastic months each
year. To encourage the formation of
such districts and the organization of
such schools. l think. the State should
make an appropriation for the first
year of not less than 500, 100000, to be
distributed to these districts in
amounts, within certain limits, equal
to those raised by taxation, or sums
donated. Those districts should also |
receive their part of the regular State |
appropriation direct,just as do the sep |
arate school districts. After two years |
the principals of such schools should |
be required to have professional H.
censes, and in the mean time a special !
examination should be provided by
the State Board of Examiners for
them. Such a scheme will not only
provide rural high schools, but win
encourage by voluntary action the con
solidation of two or more weak schools
with low curriculums into a strong
school with two or more teachers and
higher curriculum"
1t might, perhaps, be wiser for me
to offer no further suggestions within
these columns at least, until next time,
but there is one subject so near to
my heart that l would feel untrue to
the interest and the comfort of the
dear little children who live in the
country il l did not seize the first pos
sible opportunity to beg our good and
great men for better school houses.
The present country school houses
are, as rule, a disgrace to the State,
however great triumph some of them
may be to the willing, but unskilled
hands that build them. | know, of
that it is a generally accepted
fact that the bigger the man of today
gets to be the shabbier the school,
the harder the bench a1d the fewer
his school years grow as he looks
back over them. If we are to judge by
the achievements of most of todays
rulers and heroes, it might be we'll not
TO have any schools, or books, at all,
in which case the struggles of the
youth, bent on educating himself,
would carry him to heights hitherto t
of.
But believe | voice the sentiments |
If most of the children of today when 6
say, give us fewer struggles today
md less of fame tomorrow, and, in
he meantime, help our parents to |
build slightly school houses, in pretty I
groves and to furnish them with cas- /
er seats, better desks, and such &C. /
,essories (besides the regulation r
"all battered and torn" v
md a map as will make the inside
# the house attractive to us. with t
lotEing but the trees of the forest to d
'bstruct Gods blessed sunlight. Most {
# our country school housese are dark +
md gloomy. How could they be 9TH Il
'rwise, when the Only light is let in
through one-or maybe two-24x24
AS for the heating system t
dopted in these schools, l can find t
10 words. One must experience one t
f those winter terms, during which, o
fter long cold Tor damp tramps, the p
eacher enters her school room and T.
nds it, each day, like a refrigerator. c
md thus it remains until she sends Il
be larger boys for wood to make
fire." And such a fire. Wood IL 7
heap and the store is usually big, c
ence the pupils land teacher) get