The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-21
.CONSOL |DAT|ON
Of The SCHOOLS.
CONTINUED From Last Sunday

Continued From Last Sunday
= It Is a great advantage OF the large
school over the small one that II IS
not dependent upon the whims ana
prejudices OF one parent, or OF severat,
in a community to keep 1t alive. TO
be able to break up the school by
withdrawing four or Ave children Is
more power than some human nature
can stand A one.room school some-
times makes one man larger than the
community. A large school enlarges
the influence Of the community and
tends TO diminish spirit Of truculence
on the part OF the individual. The con-
solida,ed school also tends to group
homes around or near the schcol, tnus
.tondinc to break up the Isolation OF
the large plantation. It makes possible
lthe inclusion OF auditoriums. thus PR
5yiding meeting places for the cnltosen
and for the people OF the community.
and encouraging the introouctL1lon q
series OF lectures. which are now con.
hned almost entirely to the cities ana
towns.
The rural people need meeting places
for educational, economic and soclal
nurposes. The consolidated school
provides a proper centre for such meet-
inEs: in other words. the deepest
meaning Of the consolidated sen oo4
Is that 1t tends to soclalize community
,iife. II tends to break up unsoctal ana
anti-social tendencies. It's very ereo-
ton is form of cooperation. n. el
makes easier other cooperative eng!
And 1t is proper to say mere ina
unless the consolidated school tenas 70
make the economic life of the cons
m,nity profitable, while it is raising
the intellectual and moral life, It Is
falling 70 fulfil one Of Its chietes'
missions. Country life must be maze
economically profitable, else the country
districts will be depopulated. It is as
much the duty OF the Educational De-
inartment as It is OF the Agricultural
Department OF the State to help make
II economically profitable; and the con-
solidated school is the best centre from
which to accomplish this vital work.
But to make country life economi-
cally profitable and yet to permit - 70
remain socially unattractive Will not
sion the movement from the country, to
the city. "A consolidated school has IN
III as already indicated, the post
billy and the opportunity Of making
country life socially attractive. and II
Is its duty to meet the issue.
This. then, is what we mean by a
consolidated school. This Is the ideal
10 which We look, however far we may
be from It, The consolidated school
must be centre from and through
which to d disseminate the best methods
81 home making and home keeplng;
to teach a more scientific far ming; to
inculcate true cooperative spirit IN
community life; to give to the children
and to the people OF the community
definite instruction in the principles
OF public, sanitation, OF divid ual and
= AofY az too
The small school also should stand
Tor these essential things. but II is
much easier to turn these ideals into
realities through "A the cons olidated
school. TO accomplish these things
ii tho one-room school usually means
q maximum OF effort to get mini
mum OF results. III s n. y
31 cannot stop here TO deal in figures
showing the number OF small schools
that are being merged into consoli-
dated sch ools In Y!rg iula. The nuns
ber OF our scho olhouses have g been
steadily decreasing during the last four
years, while the number OF teachers In
that time have been steadily inoreas-
Superintendent Powers. who has pres
ceded me. I have dwelt on II his subs
ject with some detail It must be kept
In mind that these consultations are
going on constantly. and the figures
therefore are soon out OF date Moth,
Ing but bad swent Their stops the build
ms OF soho ohio sesa In Virginia now;
and the ma lori ~ Of the new sc hools
built. or building. are consol idatfed
ones. q t,3 ssS
As not necessary to ma Ike an elab
ora es argument to prove hatS q large
central scto 81, sSW i h the anlei quality
Of teach hing, will AZ : better work. tina 2
q small school. T his \ has be en- proven
the world over. The erdtct is Well
nigh unanim ous that the ne ~ oA7ll1
Echool for all tn " chi dren az the CONS
lnunitySis not. and Ca mot be- The deal
place for il q CON etc educa t1onal de-
Continues a On Second RaKa,l