Graham guardian., 1909-11-26
CENTRALIZED SCHOOL
Paper Read by Miss Gilher-
tina Lane at Stafford
Parents Meeting

iol OOiiiS ySehl . ShSi> i'eso S>~AA -
great deal of discussion on the SUBJ
ject of graded schools for rural and
village communities, but so far little
advancement has been made. In all
rural schools attempts at graduation
are made, but it is almost a physi-
cal impossibility for one or two
teachers to conduct the large num-
ber of classes made necessary by
dividing the school into eight grades.
Under our present educational sys-
tenn, the farmer must move into the
city to secure the advantages of
well graded schools for his children.
The problem, then, for our rural
communities is how to secure the
best instruction, how to enable the
farmers child to receive as good
teaching as the merchants. And
when we reflect that forty per cent.
of our school population is in rural
schools, it becomes problem of su-
preme Importance.
1t is thought that the centralized
or consolidated school will solve the
problem. According to this plan,
the weak, scattered schools of a
township are united into one strong
well-conducted central graded school.
The statutes in most States have
been framed to meet the demands
of one-roomed school district and
these laws had to be amended be-
fore the change to centralized
school could be made. 1t has taken
years of persistent effort on the part
of our educational leaders to effect
these changes, and to make law
makers realize that the education of
our youth is state and not local
matter.
Consolidation is to-day proving a
success in many States of the Union.
The idea originated in Concord,
Mass, over twenty years ago when
wagons were sent into the country
and brought the children to the vii
lage school. 1t was later tried in
Ohio in the vicinity of some of the
villages and ultimately introduced
into the purely rural communities.
In the last few years Indiana has
has lead in the consolidating Of
schools. Today it has over three
hundred such schools taking the
place of five times that number of
small ones. Ten thousand children
are every day carried to these
schools at the States expense. Sim
liar conditions exist in Ohio, Illinois,
Iowa and other States of the Mid
die West, while in Virginia, Ten
nessee, Florida and Louisiana the
number of small schools have been
reduced. In all there are seven
hundred centralized rural schools in
the United States and five thousand
of the one-roomed schools have been
displaced, and the idea is but just
started.
Wherever centralization has been
effected, provision has been made
for the transportation of the pupils
to and from school by means of
wagons prepared for this purpose.
The wagons go over a specified
route collecting all the children liv-
ing on that route, and conveying
them promptly to school. In most
cases the wagon is scheduled to ar
rive at the school house ten minutes
before it opens. At the close, the
wagons are in waiting and take the
children home without delay. The
contract for each route is let by
the school board to the lowest re-
sponsible bidder who must furnish
suitable covered wagons with seat
ing capacity of at least twenty. Due
regard is given to the light and ven
tilation and warm blankets or robes
are furnished when needed. The
driver must be man of good moral
character whose influence is in ac-
cord with the teachings of the
school. A district of Iowa makes
this specific provision; The con-