Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-08-30
LNnE SCHOOLPASS|N
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
SEES END OF SMALL RURAL
SCHOOLS.
DAY OF AGRICULTURAL
HIGH SCHOOL IS HERE
Department Issues as Bulletin Paper
Prepared by Professor Hays-con-
solidation and Concentration on
Specific Studio. Plan Of the Future
Better Work Possible.
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
Washington, Aug. 30.-The day of the
old-fashioned district school Is passing
and in it's place is coming the con-
solidated rural school, according to AS
sistant Secretary willet NJ. Hays Of
the department of agriculture.
house beginning to fade away into the
realms Of history, romance and tradi-
ton, as Professor Hays sees it, but the
day of the agricultural high school is at
hand and the high school that trains
the boy in the mechanic arts or the
girl in the economics Of the home. 1t
is day when the need is growing for
the training of the youth of both sexes
in those things that will help them
in later years to make a living in other
vocations Of life than in the profess
sions.
The department of agriculture has
Just issued as bulletin paper by
Professor Hays which deals with the
question of education for country life.
In it, he touches upon educational mat
tiers and tendencies in a general way.
It is the idea of Professor Hays that
the schools must turn their attention
to the practical training Of children for
the vocations they are to follow. His
ideas on this are summarized as fol-
lows:
The schools must bend their ener-
gies more clearly to training for all the
specific vacations. A few will perceive
| the advantage and meet the require
ments of this new development unaid-
ed; all must have the opportunity to
do so. Our industries have reached
the time of close specialization. and our
schools must follow. They should lead.
In our great manufacturing industries
the need of trained artisans and the
wisdom of giving to our American
youth the opportunities of the higher
paid technical trades, instead of re-
serving this work for foreigners train
ed in schools abroad, are leading to the
establishment of trade schools, often
with funds supplied by employers"
the opportunities for the education of
the boys and girls in the country so as
| to better to fit them for farm life. AT
the same time, he feels that the h1gh
schools in the cities and towns should
recognize the fact that this is an age
demanding more technical knowledge
and should train the boys and young
men in fields in which they will have
o~,l or, tysof n
the girls and young women in the arts
appertaining to the management OF the
home.
The appearance of the document by
Professor Hays at this time, put out
by the department Of agriculture, sug-
gests that the agricultural high schoo
bin which has been before congress
for several sessions Is not going to be
allowed to drop. The department o.
agriculture is pushing it and Professor
Hays has been devoting great deal o.
attention to furthering this measure
and irving 20 make converts to tht
idea. Efforts will be made at the mex
session to get favorable consideration
Of this measure in congress. 1t is no
, visionary scheme for the reason tina
MANY agricultural high schools are al
ready in operation. successful oper
4 alton it is said, and many rural school,
have been consolidated.
{ Professor Hays thinks that part O
e the American educational system which
is of collegiate grade is sufficient.
S we'll orga nized to warrant the belle
: that its development by easy evolu
i tionary steps is assured. What he l
giving attention to is secondary edu
s cation. in the grades below the col
t llepe. and education in the rural schools
n He says:
e "The plan of establishing system
: of large AGRICULTURAL high schools \
5. gaining popular favor There is goo
e reason to expect that we shall have
e class of high-grade secondary school
d nroviding vocational finishing course
IL for those who, expecting to live o
e, farms. will close their school life wit
al from two to four years of vocations
high school work. The wonderful sue
n cess of the Minnesota, Nebraska, Wis
y cousin. and other agricultural hig
lie schools in receiving, in preparing fo
"a country life, and in returning to tn
% farms rural youth of both sexes, an
Z the success of their graduates in be
= coming better farmers, home maker
IF and citizens, gives assurance that sue
v. schools will receive extensive practic;
n trial and use That these schools al
lgI adapted to fit into our system betwee
l. the rural school and the agricultur;
Of college is an established achievemer
IN in states where the effort has bee
:" made"
s.In short, a movement is we'll begu
TO organize better, as part CT es
great American school system, the SEE
e ondary schools so as to meet especial
the needs of country life. This move
ut ment contemplates that, below ar
r leading to our more than sixty sta
lg colleges, of agriculture already estai
l. lished, we shall lhave 80 Otto 400 agr
cultural finishing schools-practical
In one in each country congressional di
Id trict of ten or more counties, eth
IN separate or as a strong department
re an existing institution"
OF Still more important, as Mr., Ha.
r. sees it, "is the larger movement to e
o. tablish a system Of consolidated rur
n and village schools, and of courses
IN agriculture in town and city schoo
n so near the homes of the farm you
that something of instruction in agr
culture, in home economics, and in S
cial and civic affairs, as Well as In Z
accepted subjects Of so-called gener
ISL education, shall be taught to all t
re boys and girls Of the farm. To me
wv this first need the consolidated rur
les school in the open country and +
til consolidation of rural schools abo