Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-07-31
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL.

tne cOIntrV, also the expense or maln-
tanning these schools. The vast num-
Der of schools and colleges in the
United States give them an influence
upon the nation second only to the
Church and possibly the Press. For
this reason and also from the fact that
every man, woman, and child in the
country, either has been. is, or will
be personally identified with the
school as pupil, gives to all sense
OF proprietorship together with an
earnest desire for the best results from
these schools. There were Is, SS7, SAG
pupils in the public and private
schools and colleges of the United
States during the year 1905. OF these.
II, 019, 259 were in primary and gram
mar schools; $40, $50 were in high
schools and academies 1873, 544 were
in universities and colleges 81, 322
were in professional schools. and
60. 800 were il normal schools. The
total expenditure of federal, state,
and local governments for all purposes
in 1905 was 81, 445, l05, 49S, of which
amount 1916, 996. 472 was for schools
aud other institutions of learning.
The total disbursement by the United
States government alone was
S120. los, 49S. 1t will thus be seen that
the sum expended for education was
equal Ito more than one-half the cost
of the federal government. The ag-
gregate of school property increased
in value during the year l904-5 S4S, :
345, 462. and reached total of $733,
A 4i6, sos. The average expenditure for
school purposes per day for the in
struction of each pupil was 16. 8 cents,
a slight increase over the previous
year, when it was 1915 cents per day.
The report also shows a marked in
crease in the number of schools in
which instruction is given in manual
and industrial training. In more than
two thirds of the cities of the United
States having a population of 1000
and over, manual training is now
taught in some of the grades of the
public schools. In 1890 only thirty
seven city school systems included
manual training in their course of in
struction. Now, it is safe to say that
this country leads all nations in the
provision it makes for the education
of its youth for the work of life. Still
the system, or perhaps. it would be
better to say the operation of the sys-
tenn, is not yet perfect. That there
is room for improvement is obvious,
in Iowa. The Des Moines
Register and Leader has the following
severe criticism on the working of the
public school system in our own state
If about half the country schools in
the state were closed by judicious
consolidation the difficulty over school
teachers would be in process of adjust
ment along sensible lines.
Iowa has more schools and more
school teachers in proportion to the
school population than any adjoining
state, and that by a large majority,
but in educational advantages and
educational results the percentage is
not nearly so much to the credit OF
the state.
Iowa has cumbersome, awkward,
ill-adjusted, unworkable and expensive
public school system, without head,
and without method. The hundreds
of thousands of dollars that are ex-
pended in Iowa every year for public
schools, without any adequate return,
would amaze the state il the total
could be compiled.
An educational system that should
take in every school from the rural
precinct to the university would save
one fourth of what Iowa expends for
education and afford better facilities
lutely no organization of the school
work OF the state, and the financial
management of the schools could not
be more cumbersome aud expensive IL
a commission were appointed to de-.
wise plan. Take the one item OF
school treasurers. What could be
more absurd than to have the school
funds distributed as they are at pres
ent?
Iowa needs state board of educa-
tion with ample powers. 1t should
include the state superintendency and
60 far beyond the limited scope OF
that office. 1t should have supervision
of the three schools of higher educa-
tion, the university, agricultural COL
lege and normal college, and then ii
should have general power OF con-
troll over every high school and every
common school in the state. Such a
commission properly organized and
giving its time to the schools OF Iowa
would do more in ten years to put
Iowa at the forefront as an education
al state, at enormous saving in pres
ent expense, than all other agencies
and regulations put together.
Superintendent Riggs is doing all
in his power to give order and sy stem
TO the school work of the state. he
is to be commended for making the
examination of teachers mean some
thing. But his field'is limited. There
must be revolution in methods be-
fore Iowa can have an educational
system.
For that bad taste in the mouth