Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1910-01-20
RURAL SCHOOL
PROBLEM IN n. D.
HOW CAN INSTITUTIONS Of HIGHER
LEARNING SOLVE RURAL PROB.
/ LIN N NORTH DAKOTA?

The most important result Of the
recent State Educational Association
at Minot was the centerlng of the at.
/tention of all educators upon the i'm
portance of the Rural School in the
educational economy or the state.
The county superintendents at their
conference last August said: I'VE
believe that the most important sin
gle educational interest In North Da.
kota is the rural school," The state
Educational Association at Minot
said 1--WE recognize the rural school
as the most important factor in the
education of. the state" That being
accepted, it would appear that the
rural school deserves larger consid-
Grafton at the hands of those who de-
termine the educational destinies Of
this state, who mould the educational
thought and train the educational
leaders of this state. There Is an in
sistent demand for our institutions
of higher education to grapple with
the problem of the rural school and
solve it. We do not mean to say
that these institutions are not doing
much to help in this great work.
Our Normal Schools are providing
Special courses for rural school teach
ers. Our Agricultural College is
pushing the teaching OF elementary
agriculture in the rural school. The
University men are giving much time
and thought to the consideration of
this problem. The comm1tte of sew
en- is made up of men taken largely
from those who teach in the higher
institutions. These things are good,
but they do not reach the seat of the
difficulty. The rural school needs
many specific things, we shall not re-
count them here, but most of all it
needs stimulation. This stimulation
Can COAC oAly, IL Jul Juu6ACAI, ILL u
state aid. State aid for the rural
school means, first, standardization,
second, closer supervision, third, stim-
ulation of interest in the rural school,
and as a result Of these things will
come all the other improvements
which are so essentially and vitality
necessary.
Ten years ago our high school sys-
TEN was scarcely worthy the name,
today as a result of the stimulus of
state aid our high schools rank among
the very best in the northwest. We
,have earnestly petit1oned for a little
aid for rural schools at the last three
sessions Of the legislature. We have
met with bitter opposition, always in
the upper house. The committee on
appropriations in the senate is COM
posed with few exceptions of men
who live in our towns and cities and
who represent then our special inter-
est which is usually some state insti-
tuition. We readily recognize that the
demands for these institutions during
the past few years have been heavy
but withal these demands have gen
orally been just. We have been
proud of our growth as state. We
have been gratified with the wonder
full development of our state educa-
tional institutions, yet we firmly be-
lieve that the most pressing demands,
at least for heavy appropriations for
permanent improvements, have been |
met for the present, that there is not !
now any valid reason why the State
institutions should alb
sorb all the funds available for ap-
for educational purposes.
A careful study of appropriations
made by the legislatures OF 1907 and
1909 shows that $1,345, 900 was appro-
priated to eight state educational in
stitutions, namely, the University, the
College with it's expert
mental stations and work, the two
Normal schools, the Normal and In
dustrial school, the School of Forest
~, the Science school and the State
High schools. This vast amount was
largely for permanent improvements.
Add to this practically $4,000 more
,aised by direct tax maintenance for
he years 1907-O8-09 and 10 and you
,ave $2.265. 900 expended BY the state
lpon higher education in four years.
This is proper. Not cent too
much. However, let us not forget
hat the rural school Is the founda-
ion upon which all this superstruc-
ure must rest. II the rural school
8 weak the whole educational system
3 weak. The institutions Of higher
safning can help solve the rural