The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1905-09-15
SUMMER TERM inefficient
WRITES OF THE IMPORTANCE Of
WINTER TERM. u,
Committee Composed of Prominent In
structors Meet at Neche to Recommend
Texts for Arithmetic and Spelling
Interesting Communication.

Texts for Arithmetic and Spelling-An
Interesting Communication.
All of the village and many of the
schools have started or are about to
start, but far too great a number of coun-
try districts still adhere to the inefficient
and wastelul summer term.
That winter schools are more efficient
than summer schools, the records of this
office conclusively prove. Last year 124
pupils completed all the subjects re-
quired in the course of study and receiv-
ed diplomas and over 600 passed in some
of the subjects. OF this number not one
came from school district that adheres
to the summer term plan of school. In
fact>but few, if any, of the pupils of
these districts ever get beyond the fourth
grade. &
The expensiveness of school is not
measured by the total cost for the year,
but by the cost for each pupil for each
day actually in attendance. Measured
by this standard, the summer term of
school is always more expensive than
the winter term.
The new apportionment law that will
take effect next year bases the apportion-
ment upon the number of children in at
tendance for sixty days during the year
instead of upon the whole number of
children of school age, as heretofore.
The state superintendent estimates that
the apportionment under this law of
county and state funds will amount to
$40 per capita. Only the smaller children
can attend in the summer, consequently
the winter schools will receive much
more proportionately than the summer
schools with their lighter attendance.
The average incidental expense of winter
schools is about $500 per room; of sum-
mer schools about $500 per room, a
difference Of $500. In other words an
increased attendance of four scholars
would lessen the aggregate cost of the
school. y
The summer school discriminates in
favor of the girls against the boys. I,
has been said that religion to-day is
largely in the hands Of women. When
both religion and education shall be in
the possession of the women, the pros.
pect of domestic felicity will appear
Igloomy indeed.
The summer term interferes seriously,
also, with the summer training school
for teachers. Many teachers would at
tend the training school if they were tot
prevented by the continuation of theil
schools during the whole session of the
summer school. The attempts to raise
the standard OF the teaching force is thus
greatly handicapped.
To summarize, winter school will en-.
sure larger attendance, better school,
better grade of teachers, and de.
creased aggregate cost.
UNIFORMITY OF TEXT BOOKS.
A committee composed of Prof. Thos
Pierson, superintendent of the Drayton
schools, Miss Anna Hafstrom, teacher OF
seventh and eighth grades in the Pembi-
ma city schools, and Mr.. Alex Mcintosh,
president of the board of education OF
district AZ met with the county superin-
tendent at Neche last Saturday to rec.
ommend texts in arithmetic and spelling
tor county adoption. Three other mem
bers of the committee, Prof. Tucker of
Bathgate, WI. Watt of Hyde Park and
j. O'Keefe of Cavalier were unavoidably
absent.
Representatives of the American Book
Co., CHM & Co., and Rand, McNally &
Co. were present and presented the
merits OF their respective publications.
The committee after due deliberation,
taking into account that Mines arith-
metIcs are in use in SO per cent Of the
schools of the county and reported by
50 per cent of the school boards aud
teachers as giving satisfaction, by an un-
animous vote recommended the re-
adoption ofthe Milne series.
The schools OF the county were about
evenly divided in the use oftwo texts in
spelling. AS neither of these speakers
seemed to meet the requirements of the
course Of study the committee selected
Atoms speller published by CHM & Co.
for use in the seventh and eighth grades.
II is the desire of the writer that no
formal action be taken on this recon-
mendation Of the committee until circul-
ar letters bearing on this subject are
received from the superintendent's Office.
| II IS our desire that these adoptions be
made at the next annual meeting if
enough districts consent to the adoption
| to secure q greater sunifo formity than u e
lnoWsS 'ssS have. i 4, the Ieco datlon / 81