Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-01-09

ulaHy OF our leaulnS men received their
early education, cease to exist in Hi
nois? Yes, If the plans of Dean Dav-
cnport, Superintendent Bayliss. and
other leading educators Of the State
are carried out us expected. These
men declare that the district school,
with one teacher, poorly paid and fire.
quently inefficient, often with less than
i've pupils, cannot meet the educational
requirements Of to-day. They say that
the farmers child has the same right
to an education us the city boy or girl.
What Is more TO the point, they de-
clare 1t is possible, at no Increase of
expense, or at the most of very
slight increase, to give to every rural
community as good educational advNnt-
ages as possessed by any city in the
State.
The remedy proposed is simple, yet
decidedly efficient, rs 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 remedy Tor existing
conditions has long been known to ed
ucators. Years ago 1t was realized by
those who studied conditions that the
district school had failed to live up to
Its standard of years ago. but a rem
pdy was slow to develop. Consolida-
lion, as practiced In twenty States Of
the Union, is believed by all who have
| n 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
score enrolled, of ages ranging from c
to rs years, can now barely muster q
scant half dozen, none Of them over Il
years of age.
Dean Eugene Davenport of the I'LL
nois College Of Agriculture, who has
studied the situation carefully, gives
the following facts concerning the
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 nm.
graded or common country school was
437, 220; in 1890, 37S,16O; in 1900, $40.
O37; In 1904, 3ls,21s, decrease II
twenty-four years Of HOOP. In the
same time the attendance of the grad
ed school advanced from 266s2l te
88O,3S8 The number of country school.
in 1880 was 10.933 and in 1904 1O,G77
while the number of teachers decreased
from 17.347 to 12.297. The decrease Ii
the number Of schools is but 256, while
the decrease in teachers is $3.50. ThIl
is accounted for, says Dean Davenport
In the fact that in 1880 1t was custom
ar, for the summer session of the rura
school to be presided over by young
inexperienced teacher, usually a 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 til,
more able one who has disappeared Ii
some other occupation.
In the same period the number O.
graded school teachers has advance,
from 4,90S to 1914. ind the higl
school teachers from 140 to 1871. TIL,
number of graded schools has increased
from 1901 to 2,21s aud the high schools
from ITO to 400.
Cost Per Pupil 97.14 in 1880.
In 1880 the cost per pupil enrolled Ii
the ungraded school was STA. In 100.
1t had grown to 1852, and the qualit,
Of the teaching had in the lneantlm,
seriously deterlorated. In the graded
and high school the cost per pupil nd
vanced from $11.28 to $14.S1, but one
third more than the cost of the mer'
elementary training received in the un
graded school.
The wages paid for the male In tn
ungratled schools in 1890 averaged $40
per year and $257 In 1904. For tn
female the average wage In 1890 wa
$l7G and s240 In 1904. In the sam
period the average for the graded schoo
female teacher was S4ST in 1890 an,
5000 In 1904. For the male 1t was $75
In 1890 and 1882 in 1904. LII 1860 won
en- teachers in ungraded schools worke,
for as little wages us 81 per month. Il
1904 the lowest wage paid was SIS.
$50 you see" said Dean Davenport
"the country school ]. IN a serlous pre-
dicament. Unless soirctbiug is do'
shortly, many Of them must 50 tets
wall Indeed. In number Of :