The Grenada sentinel., 1904-02-13
EDUCATIONAL BUREAU


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 l 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
commenced 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 somo
provision should be made whereby the
rural youth might have similar ad-
vantages. I have been told on good
authority that a large majority of tho
student body OF the university go from
these town schools. Our country boys
and girls who are in attendance there
could not be prepared for the first
| class at public schools in the coun-
| try, a1d 1t was necessary for them
| either at great expense to go to pa.
vate training schools, or to go to i
town high school and pay tuition. The
| artificial distribution of wealth, caused
by railroads and the location of coun-
ty seats, has made it possible for
those towns to sustain by local tax
alton these high schools; while the
rural districts. on account OF sparse
ness OF population and low taxable
| values are left to their Owl efforts
| and cannot maintain schools of this
! character.
| II hold that the sources of the
wealth of the State are. in the main,
the country. and that the large tax
! able values OF the town are made pos
sible by what they receive from the
| country; that it is right that all of
the property of the State should be
| taxed for all OF the children of the
State, and that it is the duty of the
| legislature to provide for a system of
free high schools. where the great
body OF our boys and girls can receive
a good business education, of it they
! desire. cal be prepared for our State
| colleges. In my opinion, nothing will!
50 bring the State University into the
affections OF our rural people as tbs
supplying OF this connecting link be.
tween their present schools and the
university. 1t will also have the ef-
feet OF keeping great many boys and
, girls at home in the schools that other.
! wise so 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 a resolu
oion denying admittance into the pre-
| -'aratory department of that institu-
lion to any student who lives near a
school of sufficiently high grade to pre-
pare him for the first college class.
After a careful study of this propo-
sition, l 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 a suitable house, elect compe.
tent teachers, levy local tax, and
maintain high school for not less
|
year. To encourage the formation of
such districts and the organization of
such schools. / think the State should
make al appropriation for the first
year of not less than 500, 100000. to be
distributed to these districts in
amounts, within certain limits, equal
20 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 Ii
censes, and in the mean time special
examination should be provided by
the State Board of Examiners for
them. Such a scheme will not only
provide rural high schools, but viii
encourage by voluntary action the col-
sOlidatiOn of two or more weak schools
with low curriculums into a strong
school with two or more teachers and
a 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 if 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 a triumph some of them
may be to the willing, but unskilled
hands that build them. l know, OF
course, that it is a generally accepted
l % hiOroT f00aV
gets to be the shabbier the school,
the harder the bench AID the fewer
his school years grow, as he looks
back over them IT we are to judge by
the achievements Of most of today's
rulers and heroes, it might be we'll not
to have any schools, or books, at all,
in which case the struggles OF the