Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1904-04-09


to look into the matter
Because of the desire to get this
matter well before teachers and pa
irons before the next meeting of the
association we hope to have it read in
every home in the State TO which q
newspaper goes. The report follows
below:
A report for the improvement of the
rural schools In Mississippi would be
incomplete without the suggestion OF
the vast improvement that might be
made in the way OF consolidation of
small schools A study Of the rural
schools as they are now organized re-
veals the fact that there are too many
districts and consequently too many
schools. There Is not county in the
State within the knowledge of your
committee hut that is maintaining too
many schools. The original districts
have been divided and subdivided until
the number OF schools has been in.
creased threefold or more and until
the possibility for efficiency has been
II Is a fact that there are thousands
Of schools in Mississippi with an eu-
rollment each Of twenty pupils or less.
This unhappy condition has been
brought about by the citizens of the
county acting on the false principle
that the nearer the school Is located
TO their homes the better it would be
for the children Each meeting of the
county board Of education, whose duty
II is to locate schools, at its meeting
In July witnesses annually one or more
contests between rival patrons to bring
the school house nearer to their homes,
and in this struggle for proximity OF
location the character of the school
and the conditions that make for the
success of 1t have been wholly lost
sight Of. Among the chief evils in our
system of public education not the
least is the small school In fact, our
candid opinion Is that the little school
with its enrolment of from five 10
fifteen pupils and its general accom-
paniment, me poor teacher is the
greatest evil in the rural schools. The
one.teacher school Is the most ex.
pensive and at the same time the most
inefficient in the State. In such n
school the pupil Is educated, and poor
ly at that, at a greater expense than
in the best equipped high schools. Ten
pupils taught by Sl0-salaried teacher
costs the State 81 per pupil per month
"a rate of tuition 100 per cent. higher
than II costs to educate pupil in the
best schools of the separate districts.
The economic waste Of these schools Is
fearful to contemplate, and If no other
advantage were gained, consolidation
would pay handsome dividends in the
way of decreasing the cost of maintain
ing the schools. The remedy for the
evil Of the small school Is to abolish
II altogether wherever practicable, and
unite several of them into one large
school, where the children might be
brought together in much larger num-
bers. This union of schools would ne
cessitate some of the pupils going
greater distances than at present, but
that disadvantage would be more than
balanced by the advantages Of the
union school from the enthusiasm and
interest gained by contact with other
pupils of like age and advancement.
III ieuucius ,he hun'pei VI uis'ii1''
there Wouiu pe ieu"ceu i'heWisc we
number of buildings and of teachers
and consequently, with one school,
where before there were two or more,
there might be better buildings and
better teachers, Wherever the plan OF
abolishing the small school is imprac-
rH IN oc
'icaoie, anu IT WI W so III inaiiy oaaee
vi aoco"ie Vi pau 'o"us ahu pooi
bridges OF none at an, cohsoiiua,ion
cannon pe CONSIDERED ana 'he s"aii
school must reiiiaih o,hcl means ~,
Improvement must nc resoited .o' anu
.no.e slo 9.ne, i,,.,i masn ,oWu,'s % at' anue AVE
inpn, uoesuIe ' N'n9oa'.a.'In' ~, ~, out " .ia
',,. .uoaiun " s".i' ~ 49, NV '0 WINS '"e
pio' ''oo VI '",o p"pe'
III otuer W illUsTate 'ic dement's y.
CONSERVATION, suppose we cons'der tne
union mo one OIL SIX shail schoois'
each win ah enrolment Oh iess ,iiah
twenty pupiis, IN 'he SIN schoois mere
were SIN puiiulhSs' SIX tetciiers anu
propaD'y not iess 'hal MY Grasses
IN tne union schooi there Would DC
ono ouildins, three teachers ana not
more than eight classes. me advan-
tages are lncomparaDie ana there Is
but the one disadVahtage, the pup!ls
haVihg TO go greater distance win
the one school there could be com
lortaole ana commodious Dullding' IN
snort, more efhcient school IN every
particular. TO overcome the one dis
advantage or increased distance Tor the
pupil 1t IS no uncommon thing for the
school districts IN many OF the States
OF the west and North and some IN the
South, notably Georgia, TO provide
transportation lor pupils TO ana from
school at pubic expense.
A question closely related to the
Improvement of rural schools is that
of good roads Every teacher should
be an advocate of better roads, for
there is no greater need in the State
than passable thoroughfares in the
country districts, and none, when sup
piled, that will do more toward the
promotion of educational facilities in
the rural communities. The roads of
the State have been grossly neglected
and that it is so is a little difficult
to account for, as they lead by and
through our farms, stretch out before
our view, and their often impossible
condition is known of all men, 1t is
strange that general demand, loud
and of no uncertain sound, has not
come from the people for better roads,
On any plan for the Improvement OF