The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1910-11-03
DISTRICT SCHOOL TO DiSAP-
PEAR.
Consolidation Scheme Stated In
Indiana The Back-to-the-farm So
lufinn

Indiana The Back-to-the-fariD S0-
luton.
The district school must go It
| IN American, II is behind the
times; it has failed to keep up with
the march of progress; il has let
the city schools steal the boys from
the farm and educate them FOR a
city life
Now the familiar little structure
at the country crossroads is DOOM
ed To extinction. Two hundred thoI
sands of them, spread from ocean
to ocean and from border TO border
are marked by the hand of pro-
gress.
The one-room neigh borhood sehoo
with one teacher, often sadly ineffi-
cient, is passing away. In its place
| is coming a new factor in country
life, a school six or eight times as
large, with three or four teachers
of training and ability, IA school pre-
pared TO bring the country boy or
girl an education that promises to
reyolutionize the rural development
of America.
A remarkable movement Is under
way in the United States, almost un-
noticed by the general public and
little appreciated by many of the
farming communities themselves, bu
destined to play a most important
part in the education OF the l,Ue0,-
600 country children. OF school age
and of the generations that are TO
follow them.
Yesterday the country boy toiled
through indifferent roads and
across ploughed fields to the cross
roads district school. To-day big
carryall, full of rollicking children
and drawn by excellent horses. rolls
up to the farm house gate each
morning with the regularity of the
rural mail carrier.
The childrne pile in. The van
moves on to the next farm house
and accumulates more children.
Through the winding roads OF
district, often 40 miles square,
half-dozen of these big wagons
maintained at public expense, are
taking hundreds OF children every
day to a two-story schoolhouse such
as the country pupils OF a few years
ago never dreamed Of Al night
the wagons roll back over the morn
ing's route. depositng children al
their own doorsteps.
The country is solving the back
to the farm" problem II has found
the means to stop the great out
pouring of sturdy boys and girls to
the city schools. where they nave
country II has succeeded inbflhg-
ing into the country, almost To the
farm house door, an education tol
the country youth In its general tea-
lures to that Of the city sehooi anu
supplemented by a vocational tram
ing for permanent life on the fafli.
II ia an education for the farm MOI
for the pilgrimage to the city
The new prodigy that Is arising
ont of the ashes Of the district
school is known for want 81 pel
ter name as the consolidated rurai
school. The name fails TO describe
this great new institution Of rural
life. II Ii more than consollda'
ton Of country schois y ~
graded school. high school, man.
ual training school, agTlchltu' -
school, domestic science school ~
most a miniature university
The new system teaches the w
eational training for the farm me
new schoolhouse. instead Of stand
ing on barren lot at wlnd-sWeFt
-four corners, is surrounded by
earefully-platted farm OF ten acres
~ 80 IN the more advanced 81
the schools experimental buildings
have been erected, small fruit ana
forests tracts laid out, miniature danyl