The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1908-11-26

Paper read at the country school Sec
ton of the state teachers association by
o. E. Wells, principal of Marathon
County Training School.
Marathon County has Is, 249 persons
between the ages of and 90 OF these,
8, CAT enrolled in the Common Schools
last year, or 55% of the school popula
ton. The average attendance was 104
days for each one enrolled. This is 65qe
of the legal school year, or S61e of the
compulsory period.
In other words, a little more than one
half those of school age attended school
a little more than of the school year,
and not quite / of the compulsory at
tendance period. In the matter OF at
tendance the showing is not a good one,
though doubtless some allowance should
be made on account of the extreme linn
its of school age. Children between the
ages Of and ought not to be in the
schools, and those from IS upward may
reasonably be expected to have passed out
of the Common Schools. But making
all proper allowance, the attendance is
far below what it ought to be- Looking
at the question from another side, the
County Superintendent last year made a
very striking comparison about as fol-
lows:
Some Is to IS hundred new pupils ent-
er the schools of the county every year.
The course of study covers period of
nine years. As the schools have long
been organized under the course, approx
imately as many children should grad.
uate each year; that is 1900 to 1900
Last year S4 graduated from the district
schools, 40 from state graded schools
and 10 from the smaller High Schools,
-134 in all, or about 81 of what we
have right to expect.
What becomes of the II to II hundred
who disappear from the record? Per
haps dozen or score practically finish
the course bnt do not care to take the
examination A few more straggle
along into the 1th or Sth years. The
great majority seem to melt away like a
routed army in retreat 16 to is fat
al or fateful ratio of failure to success.
[ think it safe to say that there are not
200 pupils past II years of age in the
country schools of the county.
1t looks as if the children are not get
ting square deal l deem Marathon
County fairly representative of the state.
Should any County Superintendent be
disposed to question the accuracy of the
figures if applied to this county, it
would doubtless appear that he has not
carefully investigated to ascertain act
ual 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 OF
so as to understand matter contained in
readers above the third. They could
not read with ease or profit books or
papers relating to country life, Farm
Journal Agricultural Bulletins and re-
ports.
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 pupil s
knowledge of other subjects, language,
arithmetic, geography, history is little
or no better. do not speak by re-
proach. They are not to blame They
do moi average u years of age. The
pity is that they are permitted to stop
there. They ought to go on for three OF
four years, at least, but where shall
they go? There is not at hand schoo
suited to the needs IF the great majority
of them, but there may be.
There should he school in sympathy
with rural conditions, adapted to the
needs of the community and in touch
with its ideals While doing higher
and better work in branches alread =
pursued, it should offer additional advanc
ed 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 it il
the opportunity to make things. This in
dicates shop with tools and materials to
work with, which may be placed IN the
basement with the furniture and fuel
or in the woodhouse outside 1t means
| also room for the girls to learn the arts
pertaining to their probable future vo
cation. IL this sounds tame or common
place, call it the elements of manua
training and domestic science
! 1t means also sometime in the future
| lands, tools, laboratories, etc. Thi.
school must teach the elements of agri
culture in scientific ways and expert
mentally | have tried to give a simple
outline of a higher school for boys ant
girls who have gone through the district
schools, not IA it will be at first, but a.
it may grow to be in the years to come
when farmers have learned to appreciate
/