Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-10-27
EDUCATIONAL Meeting
Fruitful IN RESULTS
CENTRAL THOUGHT WAS BET.
TERMENT OF RURAL
SCHOOLS,
Recent Convention will Mark an I'm.
portant Mile Stone in the Educa.
tionaI Progress Of the State.
10y c. L. Viqness, Co. Supt.)

(By c. [. Vigness, Co. Supt.)
The North Dakota Educational
meeting for 1910 is now over, and
We should sit down to an inventory
of what was said and done. 1t was
particularly noticeable that the cen
trial thought throughout all the ]e,
partments Of the meeting was the
betterment of the rural schools and
rural conditions in general. There is
something unsatisfactory about the
country schools. Probably the chief
reason is the lack of properly trained
teachers who can and will go into the
country with the kind of gospel the
country boy and girl need. 1t was
! we'll that so many rural teachers
were present at this meeting. They
certainly were given much food for
consideration which will inevitably
benefit their schools. For many of
, them it simply meant to get busy"
and some of them will take the hint
in time.
The cry for better trained rural
teachers is general throughout the
state. How to get enough of them
is not easily answered. The normal
schools have all they can do to fur
nish the cities and towns. The high
schools wolk along different lines
and the result is lack of properly
trained teachers for the country
schools.
The meeting went on record recon-
mending to the next legislature to
provide special aid to rural schools
meeting certain reasonable require
ments as to equipment, length of
term, etc. In this way some of our
well qualified teachers may find SUI
fcient inducement to cast their lot
among the country people, and thus
become factors in lifting those
schools to a higher standard. 1t is
to be hoped that the people in North
Dakota will take this measure in hand
and urge their lawmakers to carry it
TN Ousn. I he rural school needs to
be built up to an higher standard,
and no possible appropriation for this
purpose can be too liberal.
The counties of Burleigh, Emmons
and Morton had arranged TO let this
meeting take the place of the regular
institute for the year, and as con-
sequence, nearly all the teachers in
these counties were in attendance,
and thus had exceptional opportuni-
ties to gather fresh ideas. 1t is safe
to say that the week lost to their
schools will pay for itself many fold
in better and more thoughtful teach
ing afterwards.
The school officers, regret to say,
were not so we'll represented as we
had hoped. Of course the busy sea-
son and the rather stringent times
kept many at home who otherwise
would have attended The school off,
GERS have a very important function
to perform in our educational work,
and it is we'll for them to be able
to touch elbows with other school
men and women at times. Meetings
of this kind serve as a clearing house
for the exchange of ideas and sug-
gestions; and those in attendance
will return home with more inspira-
ton to go ahead and do something
for their schools. When a director
or clerk from a district comes to such
meetings feel like congratulating the
district he represents. Those who al
ways remain at home and criticize
such meetings as needless expense
do not fully realize the Importance Of
their work, and how to reach them
and inspire them becomes one of our
problems If our schools shall not be
forced into the rear of progress, there
must be concerted effort all along the
line, and the school officer can do