The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-12-30
Teachers ONCE
WERE STRENUOUS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN oLDEN DAYS
FAR FROM CONVENIENT As TO.
DAY-TEAcHER WAS GENERAL
LY ALSO THE JANIToR--LoNG
WINTER TERM.

Vacation days for public school
children will soon end Children of
the present day have their study hours
arranged vastly easier than did their
fathers or gradfathers New there
are five school days in the week, with
holidays whenever there are holidays
for anybody else. Children have their
study hours planned out as finely as
scientific child culture can figure 1t.
and everything is done to preserve the
health OF pupils.
Go-as- You. Please Sob 1o1.
Schools in the olden days were rath-
err go-as-you- please. The teacher
managed the school days as best suited
himself. 1t was the usual custom to
have school every other Saturday, and
IL there was no school Christmas day
1t was considered a favor.
There were many reasons for putting
in as many school days in a month as
possible. The older boys seldom were
permitted to start the fall term until
the last of the corn was huslxed and the
other farm work done, Often they
missed the first month of school; and
few days, then stay out to help with
farm work that had halted because
of unfavorable weather. That inter
militant attendance might keep up all
winter If the corn were all cribbed
before winter set in, there would be
other work ID do when snow came, such
as cutting timber, hauling 1t To a saw
mill, and many other winter Jobs that
the farmers had to have the help of
their sons to accomplish cheaply.
II school was not out by the time
the spring work was ready, the larger
boys had to stop to do the farm plow-
ing, missing three or four weeks from
the spring end Of the term.
Long Winter Terms.
1t was because of the uncertain at
tendance of the larger pupils that
country schools fell into the, plan of
having man teacher for sthe four
winter months of school, and having a
two month term later in the spring.
taught by a young woman. or by q
young teacher who needed the expert
ence. Only the small children attend
ed the summer term.
Life for the teacher who taught win
ter terms in the country was strenu-
Gus in those early days. Possibly life
is just as strenuous in the newer por-
tons of the state now, but civilization
advances faster now, and conditions
that are hard now may be much bet
ter in a few years.
Janitor and Teacher.
II was the teachers lot in that elder
day to be school janitor as well as
teacher. The teacher received the key
to the schoolhouse when he was ready
to open school, and he surrendered it
when the term was over. He had to
wade through the deep snow, make
the fire of wood in the old Fashioned
Franklin stove, keep up the fires
through the day, roasting the pupils on
the stove side while they might freeze
on the wall side. He afsSS had TO
sweep the floor either before school in
the morning or after school rat. night.
With so many feet racing in and out,
and with the playground muddy in soft
weather and snowy in snowy weather,
there was always plenty of dirt carried
IN. School sanitation then was not the
exact science it is today
Buildings, methods, books, teachers,
school directors, everything lis better
han it was forty or fifty years ago.
Fhe question whether the product Of
he schools of today is better than 1t
vas then is a matter that father and
son can argue at will.