The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-06-07
IIIeTwards naId by ID dI.Lr-cL.


afterwards paid by the district
The present school law was passed
by the legislature Of 1898 This
changed the board Of education to the
present board consisting of the ,er-
rltorial superintendent, the president
Of the Central normal school (ex-of-
icio members), with one city superin-
tenlsnt Of a city Of the first class and
one county superintendent appointed
by the governor. This board is
charged with the duty of passing on
the qualifications Of persons who give
instruction in any capacity in the ter
ritory They prepare the course Of
study for the county normal insti-
tutes; they pass on the qualifications
Of instructors for these institutes; they
prepare the questions for the exam
nation Of teachers Tor the city and ru-
raj schools; they prepare a course Of
study for the rural schools, covering
the work as high as the eighth grade,
and discharge other general duties
provided for by law.
Leasing Of School Lands.
] In 1896 congress authorized the ter
fltory to lease the lands reserved io9
educational and eleemosynary pur-
poses within the bounds Of Oklahoma,
the money to go to the schoo' md
purposes for which they were ed
from settlement. This has ., a
source Of great revenue for the schools.
aggregating for each pupil approx
mately more than one dollar per year.
The school system of Oklahoma has
been found very well adapted to the
conditions OF the developing common
wealth. 1t is now apparent, however.
that in the near future important
notifications must be made Fully
seventy-fye, and perhaps eighty, per
cent Of the children of the territory
do not have opportunities for carrying
their education beyond the so-called
eighth grade or the common schools.
There Is, therefore. break in the
course Of study Of four years. This is
being rapidly met by the provisions
OF tn schools IN the larger towns for
giving this work, and in many of the
smaller towns two grades beyond the
eighth grade are being given. In two
counties county high schools have been
established and have met this need
The Natural Unit.
Experience has shown that the
township which was originally con
ceived OF in the original law OF the
| territory is the logical and natural unit
for an educational system This can
now be easily planned aand be freed
from the objections that were made TO
it in the early days Of the school or
ganizatlon Of the territory Shich per
mitted a board TO control the location
and the development Of schools In
the districts as the board does IN the
larger towns Il would permit advanc-
ing the course Of study from the eighth
grade as fa7 as the educational needs
Of the township would require. In
many cases in the country, township
high schools could be established
This would bring high school privi
/ leges nearer to the pupils in their
homes than in any other way that
has been devised. Transportation
could be provided for pupils u sparsely
settled districts. This provision has
grown quite beyond the experimental
stage in other states and should be-
incorporated in the school laws Of the
future state If Oklahoma
As 20 Higher Education.
The limit Of this article does not
permit an extensive treatment Of the
institutions Of higher education estab-
lished and maintained by the terri
tory This would furnish material
/ enough for an extended article so it-
self The territory supports the uni-
yersty at Norman. with a faculty of
thirty-seyeu instructors and an attend
ance Of Eve hundred pupils three nor
NAL schools well equipped with wen
selected faculties, with an aggregate
of attendance OF about eighteen hum
dred 10 two thousand pupils; an a%-
ricultural aand mechanical college with
a strong faculty and a large equipment
provided fcr the future with en- en-
fcllment 0f- something Ike 1--WE hun.
dred pupils There is also a prepar
atory school al Tonkawa supported ty
the territory, which has an enroll.
ment Of about four hundred students
making preparations for life and foI
advancing their education 20 the
higher Institutions Of learning
School for Negroes.
s There Is also a well equipped school