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


roundings and from their association
with other bright and eager minds
The teacher, along with her improved
methods of work, would thus become
an object lesson to the people, as well
as to the other teachers of the coun
ty. Their schools would soon become
model schools, and the pride of pupils
and patrons would be awakened. 9th.
er schools, eager to emulate this good
example, would make renewed efforts
and after due time this little leaven''
will have 'leavened the whole lump"
AS a result of newly aroused inter-
est land, perhaps, a determination to
do as well, if not better, than any one
else) neat, new school houses would
soon replace the stuffy, box-like rooms
that now do the best they can (but
1t is a mighty poor BEST for school
houses. Better teachers would be re-
quired, and a teacher would pretty
sool find out that she must do her
very best, or slip behind in the pro-
cession. The State should have high
er standard for its teachers, but it will
find that, unless it offers larger sal
| aries and longer terms of teaching,
| ocih0 Vi lhO llCu anu WI
| men now in the ranks will desert for
more attractive and remunerative
fields of work. When the training
school is established the dormitory
and mess system should prevail, so
that expenses should not exceed actual
cost. This is requisite since some of
our young people with biggest brains
have smallest pocketbooks. There are
many other suggestions which could
be made here, but we will refrain and
confine ourselves to working to get the
school. The suggestions can then fol-
low. The question of rural high
schools is one in which Mississippi is
now profoundly interested, and | know
of no better argument for their estab-
lishmelt than is contained in Prof.
Whitfield's report On this important
subject he says:
Zone of the greatest needs of the
State at this time is a number of we'll
distributed free rural high schools.
Under our present laws public high
schools can be maintained only in the
towns, and l am glad to report that
practically all of our town schools
have moderately we'll equipped high
school departments. Nearly all of
these schools are on the affiliated list
of the university, and their students
are received on certificate by the au-
thorities of the university, and | have
been informed by the professor of that
institution that the preparatory work
done by these schools Is excellent:
The citizens of our towns are to be
commended for the progressive spirit !
they have shown in providing these
schools for their. children, but when |
we consider the fact that less than |
ten per cent of the children of the |
State live within the bounds of these |
districts, and that over ninety per cent |
of our children have no such advant- |
ages, it becomes manifest that some |
provision should be made whereby the |
rural youth might have similar ad- |
| have been told on good |
that large majority of the |
student body of the university go from
these town schools Our country boys
and girls who are lin attendance there
could not be prepared for the first
class at public schools in the coun-
try, a1d it was necessary for them
either at great expense to go to PM
vate training schools, or to- go to
town high school and pay tuition. The
distribution of wealth, caused
by railroads and the location of coun-
~ seats, has made it possible for
hose towns to sustain by local tax
alton these high schools; while the
-ural districts, on account of sparse
hess of population and low taxable
Ialues are left to their own efforts
md cannot maintain schools of this
character
81 hold that the sources of the
wealth of the State are, in the main,
he country, and that the large tax
lble values of the town are made pos
ible by what they receive from the
that it is right that all of
he property of the State should be
axed for all of the children of the I
state, and that it is the duty of the 1
egislaure to provide for a system Of !
rec high schools, where the great [
Iody of our boys and girls can receive
good business education, of if they {
esire. can be prepared for our State