Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-01-04

Is the little red schoolhouse doomed!
Will the district school, in which so
many Of our leading men received their
early education, cease to exist in llll-
nois? Yes, If the plans of Dean DaV-
export, Superintendent Bayliss, ana
other leading educators Of the state
are carried out as expected. Ihese
men declare that the district school,
with one teacher, poorly paid and ire
Quently inefficient, often with less than
five pupils, cannot meet the educational
requirements of to-day. They say that
the farmers child has the same right
to an education as the city boy or girl.
What is more to the point, they de-
clare it is possible, at no increase of
expense. or at the most Of a very
slight increase, to give to every rural
community as good educational advant-
ages as possessed by any city in the
State
The remedy proposed is simple, yet
decidedly efficient, as demonstrated in
other States. 1t lies IN consolidating
several weak districts in one strong
vigorous school, hiring competent teach
ers at living wages, and transporting
the children to and from the centrally
located school In wagons. A very sim
pie procedure, certainly, but one which,
declare the friends Of the system, VIII
revolutionize the educational affairs of
the State.
Need of Remedy Admitted.
The need Of a remedy for existing
conditions has long been known to ed
ucators. Years ago it was realized by
those who studied conditions that the
district school had failed to live up to
Its standard Of years ago, but rem
edy was slow to develop. Consolida-
ton, as practiced in twenty States of
the Union, is believed by all who have
a knowledge of the facts to be the one
solution of the problem.
The district school has been on the
wane since 1870. Despite the enormous
growth in population in the past thirty
six years the district school has shown
a constant decrease in attendance.
Schools which formerly had several
to Is years, can now barely muster
scant half dozen, none of them over -
years of age.
Dean Eugene Davenport of the Illi-
nois College Of Agriculture, who has
studied the situation carefully, gives
n1+c,
schools of the State, as proving con-
clusively that the district school Is en-
tirely inadequate to the needs Of the
country child:
In 1880 the enrolment Of the un-
graded OF common country school was
437, 22O; in 1890, 37S,16O; in 1900, 346.-
o37; in 1904, 31S,21S, a decrease in
twenty-four years Of 119,0O2. In the
same time the attendance Of the grad
el school advanced from 266,S21 to
ego. 1856. The number of country schools
in 1880 was 1888 and in 1904 1O,677.
while the number Of teachers decreased
from 1891 to 12297. The decrease In
the number of schools is but 256. while
the decrease in teachers is $3.50. This
is accounted for, says Dean Davenport,
in the fact that in 1880 it was custom
ary for the summer session of the rural
school to be presided over by young,
inexperienced teacher, usually girl,
and the winter session was taught by
an older and more seasoned pedagogue.
Now the entire session is taught by
one teacher, and unfortunately it is the
more able. one who has disappeared in
some other occupation.
In the same period the number of
graded school teachers has advanced
from 4,90S to 1914, and the high