Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-11-17
HIGHER EDUCATION.

L
School for Teachers, read the following
paper, which is full of interest
Marathon county has Is .249 persons
between the ages of and 20 Ofthese.
S,6fs enrolled in the common schools
last wear, or 55 per cent of the school
| popI alton. The average attendance
was lO4 days for each one enrolled
This is 65 per cent of the legal school
year, or e5 per cent of the compulsory
period.
In other words, little more than one
half OF those of school age attended
school little more than / of TIE school
year, and not quite of the compulsory
attendance period
! In the matter of attendance the show
ing is not good ooe, though doubtless
some allowance should be made on ac-
count of the extreme limits of school
age. Children between the ages of 4
and ought not to be in the schools, and
those from IS and upward may reason
ably be expected to have passed out of
the common schools But making all
proper allowance, the attendance. is far
I below Nhat it ought to be. Looking at
| the question from another side, the
county superintendent last year made
very striking comparison about as fol-
| lows:
Some |, 500 to 800 new pupils enter the
schools OF the county every year. The
course of study covers period of nine
years. As the schools nave long been
organized under this course, approx
mately as many children should grad
uate each year; that is 500 to 800
Last year S4 graduated from the district
schools, 40 from state graded schools,
and 10 from the smaller high schools.
134 10 all, Or about s per cent of what
we have right to expect,
| What becomes of the 400 to | 700
who disappear from the record? Per-
haps dozen or score practically finish
! the course but do not care to take the
examination. A few more struggle
along into tho seventh or eighth Years
The great majority seem to melt away
| like routed army in retreat.
Sixteen TO one is a fatal or fateful ratio
of failure to success. | think it safe to
say that there are not 200 pupils past IA
years of age in the country schools of
the county 1t looks as if the children
are not getting square deal. | deem
Marathon county fairly representative
of the state. Should any county super
intendent be disposed to question the
accuracy of the figures, if applied 10 this
county, it would doubtless appear that
he has lot carefully Investigated to as
certain actual conditions
The training school has to deal with
the best product of the country schools
the graduates. Not many of them
are able to read easily or so as to under
stand matter contained in readers above
the third. They could not read with
ease or profit, books or papers relating
to county life, farm Journals, agricul-
tural bulletins and reports.
If the farmers are to succeed in the
| tremendous competition of modern life
| they must read to know the results of
scientific experimentation and practice.
To be happy they ought also to read for
enjoyment and inspiration The pupils
knowledge of other subjects, language,
arithmetic, geography, history, is little
or no bAtter. do not speak by way Of
reproach. They are not 40 blame
They do not average 10 years of age
| The pity is that they are permitted TO
stop there. They ought TO go on for
three sfs,ssr years, at least, but where
shall they goS There is not at hand a
school suited to the needs of the great
| ma sjority of them, but there may be
There should be school in sympathy
| with rural con5iticcs, adapted to the
needs of the community and in toucn
better WORK in branches already pur-
sued, it should offer additional advanced
studies, and the instruction should be
characterized by maturity, vigor and
intelligence.
1t must present additional positive at
fractions in line with their interests and
activities. If there is anything more at
tractive to country boys and girls than
play it IS the opportunity to make
things This indicates shop with tools
and materials to work with, which may
be placed in the basement with the fur
mace and fuel, or in the wood house out
side. 1t means also room for the girls
to learn the arts pertaining to their
probable future vocation. 1T this
sounds tame or commonplace, call it the
elements of manual training and
domestic science.
1t means also sometime in the future,
perhaps lands, tools, laboratories, etc
| This school must teach the elements of
agriculture in scientific ways and ex-
permentally. ] have tried to give a
simple outline of higher school for
boys and girls who have gone through
the district schools, not as it will be at
| first, but as it may grow to be in the
| years to come, when farmers have
| learned to appreciate what it will do for
them and their children.
At first it may be a simple school
which will run for five or six months in
| the year. Its course of study may be
| planned for one, two, or more years, as
circumstances may demand or permit.
1t may have at first only one teacher
| but will in time need more. 1t is sure
to grow in the estimation OF the COM
munity and its extension will come OF
itself
This rural high school should be
housed in building suited to its needs
and uses 1t should be not merely a
school, but social center, the focus of
the community's interests and intellec-
tual activities. 1t should have an assem-
oily room large enough to accommodate
the people, with a stage suitable for the
presentation of plays, operas, etc. Here
/ should be presented school entertain
ments, spelling schools, graduating
lexercises, illustrated lectures. addresses,
dramatical and musical entertainments
anything that the intellectual and
social needs or interest may require or
profit by. Hlther may come the farm
/ ers' institute, the grange, the horticultu-
raj society, dalrymen and stock breeders
associations, cooperation of agricul-
tural colleges, university extension lec-
lures, etc.
Surely the people in the country are
entitled TO the sam wholesome and
helpful reereations a1d entertainments
as the people of the city They can
have them if they provide fcr them and
il will not cost so much as IT will to GO
to the city for them. The purpose of
the school and its Accomplishments is to
educate for country life and to make it
enjoyable as well as profitable. The
present cources of study in graded and
thigh schools lead away from the
country, rather than toward it. They
may make more intelligent men but they
do not make more intelligent farmers
Their graduates piod along in the same
old ruts, with no greater skill or profits,
and with less satisfaction because they
have had glimpses of pleasures, which
the farm does not now afford.
i The country BOYS and girls are just as
good as the boys and girls q the city.
They are just as needful ard useful to