St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-06-12
PROF. HARRIS TALKS.
wants Consolidation and Agricultural TFaIa'
lag Ia Country scheoIs.

1HS lmpU1bout m6VSOA O0AS
the educational interests of the State
at present is the consolidation Of the
country schools and the adoption Of
agricultural training, according to
Prof. T. H. Harris, State Superin-
tendent of Education. who came in
yesterday with Mrs. Harris and en-
gagged apartments at the Monteleone,
says the Baton Rouge correspondent
Of the New Orleans Picayune. Prof.
Harris is busy taking off the crop Of
closing exercises" as he aptly terms
it.
There are three fundamental
things that should be done in the
public schools in the next few years"
said the State Superintendent. The
first is to increase the ability of the
teachers already at work. This can
readily be accomplished if we can
carry out the idea Of the long sum
mer schooI-nine weeks. Then we
should establish a definite scholar
ship, by which a teacher completing
a prescribed course one summer would
be given credit accordingly; another
year another course would be COM
pleted, and credit would be given for
that and so on until the entire course
was completed and the teacher gradu-
ated.
From all parts of the State there
is a great demand for trained teach
ers. The people are beginning to re-
aIize the Importance, in fact the me-
cessity, of having competent. trained
teachers from other States. We have
gotten some very good teachers from
the outside, but / believe that the
better way is to thoroughly train our
own and give them the preference.
Another thing is the consolidation
Of country schools. The old-style,
one-room school in an isolated locality
with a few pupils must pass. / am
E#%H& a#H#&@L.4As
bending every energy to the elimina-
tion Of the small school and the or
ganization Of several schools in one,
where . competent teacher can be
put in charge and have trained as
sistants.
The third important thing follows
the consolidation. It is agricultural
training, and it is to permit Of this
that the consolidation is particularly
desirable. AS we get a larger num-
Der Of good teachers We have more
opportunities to base the country
school upon farm life. At present
there isn't much relation between che
country school and the life that the
pupil must lead when he leaves the
school. Heretofore there has been
almost no difference between the
country school and the city, though
the lives to be led by the students are
entirely different.
we are going to start next sum
mer a number Of consolidated country
schools that will include agriculture
training-some six or a dozen, any
how. The object is to get for these
schools teachers who are graduates
of agricultural schools in the South
ern States, and who have had practi-
cal experience in farming. It is pro
posed to have at least FIVE acres ad-
Joining such schools and to have ag-
ricultural implements and a horse.
The instructors will teach along sci
ensiic lines and turn the theoretical
instruction 10 practical agriculture,
taking the boys out from the school
room and showing them how TO grow
corn, Irish potatoes and such other
products as may be adapted to The
respective localities, and they will be
taught how to produce the biggest
crops under intelligent cultivation.
This is the most important thing
The difficult part is to get good men
The people all over the State are very
enthusiastic about it, and / believe
thar II il the Yioht idea0