Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1907-02-23

Is the little req scuOOlnouse uOoiAiSN'
viii the district school. in which so
many of our leading men received their
early education, cease to exist In IN
nois? Yes, If the plans OF Dean Day
export. Superintendent Bayllss, ana
other leading educators OF the state
are carried out as expected. These
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 il is possible, at no increase OF
expense. or at the most Of 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. very sim
pie procedure. certainly, but one which
declare the friends OF the system. VII
revolutionlze the educational affairs OF
the State.
Need of n Remedy Admitted.
The need Of a remedy for existing
conditions has long been known to ed
ucators. Years ago 1t was realized b!
those who studied conditions that tn,
district school had failed to live up {,
its standard OF years ago, but a rem
edy was slow to develop. Consolida
ton, as practiced In twenty States o
the Union, is believed by all who hav
a knowledge Of the facts TO be the on
solution of the problem.
The district school has been on tn
vane since 1870. Despite the enormou
growth In population in the past thirty
six years the district school has show
constant decrease In attendant,
Schools which formerly had sewers
score enrolled. of ages ranging from
to % years, can now barely muster
scsnt half dozen. none Of them over l
years OF age.
Dean Eugene Davenport of the Ill
nois College Of Agriculture who ha
studied the situation carefully, give
the following facts concerning II
schools of the State, as proving col
clusiyely that the district school is ei
tlrely inadequate to the needs OF Il
country child:
In 1880 the enrolment OF the III
graded or common country school W,
4s7. 900; in 1890. 37S.160; In 1900. 34t
O97 In 1904, 31S,21S. a decrease
twenty-four years Of 1l9O02. In Il
same time the attendance OF the gra
81 school advanced from 2G0,S21
$40 1856. The number of country schoo
in 1880 was 1898 and In 1904 1867
while the number Of teachers decreas'
from 17.347 to 12.297. The decrease
the number of schools is but 256. viii
the decrease in teachers is 5000. III
is accounted for, says Dean Davenpo
I'm the fact that in 1880 II was custol
ar for the summer session OF the rur
school to be presided over by a your
inexperienced teacher, usually a 81
and the winter session was taught
an older and more seasoned pedagogy
Now the entire session is taught
one teacher. and unfortunately II is
more able one who has disappeared
eonle other occupation.
In the same period the number
graded school teachers has advanc
from 4,0Os to 1914. and the hi
school teachers from 40 to 1871. I
number Of graded schools has increaI
from 1901 to APIS and the high scho
from 10 to f06.
Cost Per Pupil s7.1@ in 1850
In 1880 the cost per pupil enrolled
the ungradsd school was s1.14 In Il
It had grown to 1882, and the qusl
Of tie teaching had In the meanti
seriously deteriorated. In the graz
and high school the cost per pupil
vanced from S11.26 to $14-S1, but Q
third more than the cost OF the m
elementary training received In the
graded school
The wages paid for the male In