The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-06-07
FARMERS WANT
MORE EDUCATION.
They Ask for Fewer and Better Schools
10 Rural Districts.
Paragraphs Cleaned from the Report OF
Discussions at Recent Farm
ers' Institute.


ship, handed to US few days ago
copy of the Daily Local News,
published at West Chester, Pa,
containing a report of the talks
given in that city by we'll known
educators, at a recent Farmers
Institute. The conditions that
exist in Delaware county may be
found to large extent in Fulton,
and anything that will awaken
greater interest IN the improve
of our educational system is to be
com mended. The speakers all
dwelt on the fact that the farm
er who would be successful, must
cultivate his brains as we'll as his
acres.
Mrs. Wallace, who was a writer
well known in Western Pennsyl-
vania under the nom de plume,
"Aunt Patience" has given much
thought to the educational ques-
tion.
She is not one, she said, who
believes that what was good
enough ior her in her youth is
good enough for the children to-
day. She believes that educa-
tional methods must advance with
other progressive movements,
and that upon the thoroughDess
and excellence of the schools of
to-day depends the status of the
men and women of the future.
For several years, SAID Mrs.
Wallace, | was educational editor
of one of our Pittsburg newspa-
pers, and it was my duty to visit
frequently thelarge public schools
of our city. What I saw there
fully convinced me of the value of
the carefully graded schools, and
proved to that the question of ed
ucatlon is one far more important
than the culture of alfalfa, or how
much corn may be grown to the
acre.
The pupils in the rural school
are under a great disadvantage
under generally existing circum-
stances, but where townships
have adopted the plan of consoll-
dating the schools and transport
ing pupils to them, the results
have been found admirable. Far
less sickness prevails among pu-
pills transported in coaches, be.
cause wet feet and damp gar.
ments are avoided. School at.
tendance is more regular anG. the
schools are able to adopt a graded
course and to employ more eff,
cient teachers, placing the coun
try child on an equality with the
city child, educationally. In these
consolidated schools also 1T would
be possible to introduce success
fully the study of agriculture
which is now crowded out of the
ungraded school.
Mrs. Wallace said that in hel
section of the State the idea O.
the consolidation of rural schools
is like the measles, catching, ant
she hoped the the microbes nigh
travel far and wide over the Stat,
until every Pennsylvania farmer
shall have become lnoculated witt
them.
If more school boards could b,
partially composed of good, intel
ligent women, many a teacher
mind would be relieved of a sor
burden.
The establishment of township
high schools has been found to b
an economical step, as well as on
which Is in the direct line of pre-
gress, and no loyal Pennsylvar
ian ought to rest until the educa
tional facilities of our State ar
equal or superior to those of an
other State in the Union.
Prof. John A. Hamilton in hi
opening remarks emphasized tn
truth of the remarks made b
Mrs. Wallace, saying that th
children in the little cross road
schools have been for too long
time neglected, and expressin
the hope that the time has CON
for betterment in this respect.
Farmers Institutes continue
the speaker, are the education
-. -.