The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1908-02-21
CONSULTATIONS
SCHOOLS
OF

The tendency seems to be to
: wards consolidation, concentration
and combination in everything
Experience has proven that t''
many can be served by the concen
t.ated efforts and combined force:
Of the few better than they could in
earlier and primitive times, When
each man looked after his own at
tairs. This is one evidence OF I'D
vancement and progress. 1t is Que
of The signs of progress, and as Il q
population increases it seems nece' :
sary, in order to obtain the best re-
suits. The tine 10 not far away
when the rural districts will not he
dependent upon the city for SO
m ca, but will, by concerted ttoiI
.rjoy many advantages that they
have been unable TO have. Ths
consolidation Of rural schools ID
coming. Although the effort "a
consolidate them in Shawnee coun-
ty has failed this time, it will net
be abandoned, and at no distant
time the movement will be pushed
with greater energy than eyer.
The consolidation Of schools Is
not an experiMsa: in Kansas, a.
,out twenty-five counties Asve
suca schools. The first school ~
tais. kind was establisAe in I3gs.
How mash better to have one good
school, well equipped and provided
with the best teachers, than many
inferior ones. A teacher in oAs o.
cur country schools told me she bad
thirteen pupils of all ages, an&
many days there were fewer present.
She is receiving forty dollars a
month for teaching thirteen chill
dren, bu, that is not the worss fca'
ture. She is only second or 'AirS
rate teacher, having had only a
common school education and her
environment has been such that
she lacks the culture that shoxld
bslong to the school teacher. she
does not even uss good gra@2H
and the teacher teaches by example
Bs well as by precept. If we wouls
have eur children educated-trulJ
educated--we must raise the stan
dard of the teacher. In this case
i, costs forty dollars month 10
teach thirteen children poorly AID
this is osly enc case in many.
The advantages of these couseh.
dated schools can NO. be better psIAI
ed out than was done by E. T. Fair
child, Superintendent Of Publis In
struclion, in his address before the
Teachers Association this wiHtsr.
He says:
"lt insures a much larger psrcsn-
tage of enumerated pupils enrolled.
Reduces hardness TO minimum.
Reduces irregular attendance. Pu
pills can be better classified and
graded. Pupils can have the ad-
vantages of better school rooms
better heated, better ventilated, sad
better supplied with apparatus
Better teachers can be employed.
The plan insures closer supervision
of the superintendent. 1t permits
a better grading OF the school aAd
better classification of the pupils.
1t Chords an opportunity for ther-
ough work in special branches,
such as drawing, music and nature
study, also elementary Agriculture.
1t opens the door to more weeks Of
schooling, and to schools of higher
grads. 1t offers the opportunity for
longer terms. 1t offers a broader
companionship and the culture that
comes from association. 1t quick
ems public interest in the schools.
BY this plan the farm again, as of
old, becomes the ideal place in
which to bring up the children,
giving them the advantages of cen
tiers of population and to spend
their evenings at home. All the
children have the same chances for
higher educational advantages,