Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-02-17
CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOLS.
w. G.

w. G.
CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOLS.
Editor Courier:
No doubt each and every one of US !
are glad we are living in civilized |
country and in the state of Iowa.
AS the old saying is, Iowa is good
enough for me, but there are some
things that can be improved, even in
Iowa-and one of them is the country
school
l, for one, am in favor of consolidat-
ing three or four or even whole
township and building what is most
needed a graded school. This com
munity has ell the advantages of an
up to date locality and nearly every
modern Improvement that goes to
make an ideal location except good
schools, and we as farmers and teach
ers should be interested and have this
advantage also.
A graded school that we could
recommend to strangers, would be
something that we would all feel proud
OF and be a great benefit to all con-
cerned Most Of us do not realize the
advantages to be derived from
school Of this kind until we have chill
dren of our own TO educate. Then the
question presents itself, where will
be the best place to send them to
school.
It entails great expense and often
is very unsatisfactory to send children
away from home to school. Parents
| prefer to keen their children at home
| if possible. and give them high
school education The superintendent
may do all they can. but as long as
the schools are running as Independent
districts, part graded and only hand
full of scholars, they can do nothing
| to improve it. 1t is impossible for a
| teacher to hear twenty-five or thirty
classes each day and give them the
| time necessary for each one, or to do
near as much as some patrons expect.
| A teacher could handle more scholars
and give each class more time for
recitations if they were properly
graded and consequently give much
better satisfaction.
A township could pay larger sal
airy and still conduct the schools at
about one-half the expense as they are
running at present. Competine town
ship is paying at present about $3.50
per month as teachers salary. While
good three or four room graded
township school could be conducted
with about four teachers, at not to ex
coed $3.50 per month while the fue
and school supplies would be proper
tionately smaller, which would NEAR
saving to the township Of from 81 ,60(
, to $500 per year.
At this rate 1t would only take {
short time to build graded schoo
with every modern convenience, with
out added taxation. The educatioua
advantages alone to be gained by suct
school would be enough to commend
it to all fair minded people to sa:
nothing of the increased valuation o
!, our properties.
Then it would not be necessary t
, send the children away from home t
school unless they wanted regula
business or college course. The say
ing in expenses would be an import
, ant item to many people, and a grea
= portion of this expense would be of n
= real benefit to the pupil; in fact Their
would be a great many that woul
take advantage of this kind of schoe
! that would not be willing to send thei
!, children away, and many more coul
:, give their children a high school ed'
cation if these schools were esta'
;, lished.
Now comes the question to tn
. farmers in regard TO sending chill
= off to school
:, Will they make a success, or wi
= they take up with the pleasures of
>, city such as vaudeville and other a
fractions?
= In later years these attraction
is would not be apt to appeal to the
y should we be able to give them II
:. :, advantages of graded school
o home. Another reason why we shou
= give our boys and girls the best ed
+ cation and at home. is that the
4 never was a time when there was
much required of them as at the pre-
&c ent time-even on the farm. We on
I. have to appeal to the daily newspape
n. to prove them. The farmers lie;
nv them all.
-. =, Now the only question that seer
At to be in the way is the transportatl
AZ. of the children to and from {
I'd school.
r. There are different ways this cou
be done satisfactorily. 1hev cou
furnish their own CONVEYANCE and
the district furnish stable and ia
tor to look after the schoo! buil!dl
and take care of horses for childr
that are small. or they could hire
d sponsible parties for this transpor
y. ton, or they could make an alloWan
ei for some older scholars in the
corner of the district for bringing t
% scholars from that direction.
DC hope there will be enough OF
nc get interested to establish the
W schools and it would benefit each a
a.; 90 every one of us in the community
"a which they are located.
VI H H. Dickins, Farson, la.
ne THE COAL QUESTION:.
", Editor Courier
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