Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-12-02
co, supERlN1ENOENT'S REPORT
fContinued from page II

! 1GdCHCJS SdldIlco nave UGH III
creased. Ten years ago there We're
sixteen teachers who worked for
thirty dollars a month, and nineteen
| for thirty-five dollars In the SEIZED.
ule for 1910, the thirty dollar class
does not appear, the thirty-five dol
| lar class remains the same size as
ten years ago, but the number get
ting from forty to forty-five dollars
has increased from nine to seventy.
! two. Statistics which are at least
somewhat reliable, show that the adj
vance in salaries has not kept pace
with the advance in the cost of liv-
ing. The amount paid for teachers
wages last year was over $4,000.
During the past few years, ednca,
tional meetings have been held in
various parts of the county Patrons,
teachers and pupils have gathered in
school houses to take part in con
| tests and to hear lectures. The in
| terest in these has not been very
general, but a beginning has been
made, and the purpose has been to
start movement which shall be
f-perpetuating, in the way of bring
| ing the masses of the people togeth
err at school houses for educational
meetings. Already teachers are TAX
| ing the initiative and some meetings
have been held in which spelling con
tests have been the leading feature
| of the programs. A trained teaching
force will be the constantly renewing
power in this movement. The county
training school will be an important
factor in continuing the interest as
| 1t has been in starting it. The
school Is a means of education ant
progress to the whole district as vel
as to the pupils but the fapidity O.
the schools advancement depends
upon the progress of the people.
The schools are for the benefit
all the PEOPLE, hence the effort to ex
tend their influence by means of ed
vocational meetings.
During this year the number o,
graduates from the country schools
was thirty-six, and from the graded
schools, forty-nine The number o
children of school age is 3,273; tn
number enrolled in school, 2,576; tn
average daily attendance 1861. The
average attendance Is considerable.
better than 1t formerly was. A sys
tenn of reward Of merit certificate;
from the county superintendent was
used with good results for time ant
now the system of reports by which
delinquents can be known, is begin
ming to bear good fruit. There has
been no prosecution under the com
pulsory law, altho some persons re
fused to obey the law until the fac
tory Inspector was about to procee
against them, when they finally will
out prosecution sent their childre
to school. The present attendanc'
| law Is the best we have ever haC
and in time the machinery Of ell
| forcing it will secure as good after
dance as is possible. There has bee
a proposal that the penalty be the
| forfeiture Of a certain amount TO
each days absence from school, ano
this may be the best remedy where
the greed Of the parent is the cause
of the delinquency. At any rate
| the problem of school attendance now
seems possible of solution.
The school surroundings are not
as good as they should be. Many O.
the school sites are too small, ane
even where they are large, there is
scarcely any attempt to utilize then
properly. Few school grounds have
shade or ornamental trees Or shrubs
Very little is being done to encour
age agricultural experiments. Out
buildings, which could be screened by
vines and shrubs, stand out bare and
unsightly. At the superintendent
| COAf ApAiSu W ooPs' S~~A'
this year, one of the speakers pro
posed the plan of having five Or ten
acres in the school grounds. This
would be an experimental field anG
would tend to the keeping of men
in the profession. If man were
hired to teach the school, he could
be given the proceeds of the school,
garden as an addition to the teacher
income. Two acres is not too large
for a good play ground, and it is not
necessary to clear every tree from
the play grounds. All are trying, as
best they know how, to make the
schools efficient to meet the demands
upon them. The common school can
not be expected to make skilful farm
ers of all of it's pupils, but it should
prepare them to take up the study OF
farming if they wish to be farmers
and it should make the best of the
natural advantages that surround it
The matter of making better use o.
school grounds and in some cases o.