Milford chronicle., 1905-02-03
CONSOLIDATION OF
RURAL SCHOOLS.
THE ONLY SOLUTION OF THE RURAL
EDUCATIONAL PROBLEM.
Defects in the Present System.

nThe consolidation Of schools is the
emily solution of the country school
problem"
This ie the opinion Of County Super
intendert A. r Spade, as expressed in
his report for the past year. Continu'
ing, he says: "By loaning money to
consolidated school districts for build
ing purposes by the State at low rate
will make the success of the new system
a certainty. At present, time and
money are both wasted Think of what
our present system requires-40 reeita
tions a day Eight minutes for spell
ing, eight minutes for writing, eight
minutes for arithmetic! The teachers
in the country districts average p reci'
tations per day. Where there are
graded schools the average is about one
third that number, and 95or 80 minutes
can be devoted to a recitation.
"Sixty-five per cent. of the popHla-
tion of the United States live in the
country. To keep them there we must
make it possible for them to have the
advantages of good schools for their
children. The country boy is just as
good as the city boy. Then why make
such a difference in the way We edu-
cate them? The old system must be
changed. The State must educate all
the people, not to save the people, but
TO preserve the commonwealth. An
arehy is ignorance welded not against
the citizens but against the State. No
republic can endure without an intelli
gent people.
sfWhy should the commonwealth
pay over 5000 to a district where for
days or weeks only one pupil was in
.attendance?" he asks "What were
the other pupils in that district doing ?
The State often finds out when an idle
fellow is arrested and brought before a
magistrate for some misdemeanor The
State then puts him in a reform school
twhen ii is too late) and pays SlOO a
wear principally to make the boy be-
have himself That amount should
educate five boys for the same length
of time in the best schOOlhOuse we can
erect.
''Our present system is defective IN
other respects. The school law provides
that each district shall raise at least
500 (for each district for cOlOred chill
dren $500. and if it does not raise the
full amount, the State appropriation
for each district is withheld. Under
the law it is possible to deprive the
children of a district of their right to
seven months of school, if by neglect
or otherwise the clerk fails to collect
the proper amount of taxes. The law
also requires that a school shall be kept
open at least 14O days, or lose its State
appOrtionment for the next school year,
Smallpox, scarlet fever, or other infec-
tious or contagious disease may rob the
children of their privileges. The Illness
of the teacher may do the same. The
county commissioners Of each county
should have the power to reinstate such
school before the State treasurer makes
the apportionment of the school funds.
In other words, the law should be
amended that no school can possibly
be deprived of it's rights. That school
clerk fails to settle with the auditor is
no reason why the children in bis dis
trict should be deprived Of their school
ing. It infiicts punishment upon the
Innocent. If a district deliberately re-
fuses to comply with the law, and then
loses its standing the county commits
sioners Of each county should have
power to join it to another district OF
districts"