The Green Forest tribune., 1909-01-08
Evolution of the Country
 Schools of Arkansas.

sGaJe, our schools must develop. This has been the case with our city schools. Is it so with our country schools? Asks the Fort Smith Elevator.
 The improvement of our rural schools must keep pace with other things.
 Many farmers are constantly moving to the town or city to give their children the advantage of good schools. Something is wrong when our farm CTS have to move to town to educate their children.
 To keep the true spirit of coun- try life, we must bring the good schools to the child in the coun- try and not the child to the school in the city.
 If we could preserve the pure ideals of our boys and girls by keeping them in the country, and at the same time give them a liberal education, 1t would only take one generation, to evolu- tionize our nation.
 In the state of Ark ansas our teachers and patrons are being awakened. They realize that to bring the country schools up to high standard, more money must be expended in a better way. The two steps that have been made in this direction are the voting of the seven mill tax and the ablishment of a State Normal school. Another step that must be taken before results will be satisfactory, is supervi- sion. That is matter of choice with the patrons of the country schools. Now, will they accept this great opportunity for their children?
 The country school can never accomplish the greatest good un- organized. No matter how ex- cellent the teachers, how well equipped the buildings or eff cient the school officers, the country schools, as a body, can never be what they might be, unorganized. What would a system of city schools be unor- ganized and without supervi- : sion?
 Such a state does not exist in any city. The schools as a unit, would be failure, should such be the case. No more farmers would move to the city to educate their children.
 But our country schools are uhorganized-a great family without a head, so to speak each teacher left to his own in- dividual resources. The burden is too great for one teacher. It is impossible for him to know how to regulate his work so that 1t will be to the best interests of all. It is not the teachers fault that his work is not what he would have it. No one knows this better than the teacher. The responsibility does no: rest on the teacher. It rests on the patrons whose right and privi- lege it is, to say whether the country teachers shall go on in a haphazard way or whether they shall work together for the good of the country schools as a whole. Only supervision can do |. this great thing for the country teachers and country children.
 If the patrons and teachers of Arkansas would make study of the country school system of Ohio, they would find what great things have been done there for the rural schools.
 There, the farmers no longer move to the city to educate their children but many city people move to the country that their children may have the great ad- vantage of country life and at the same time enjoy good education al advantages. Some of the wealthy citizens of the cities move out as far as fifty miles from the city, and feel no hesi- tancy in placing their children in the country schools. These popoptc rro i,,to fba o;f,y J o;lx, o v,