The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-01-20

1AUb1 <A6EISuAtuIci COllegG ueIlXeEeu a
mastery address at the Tri- State con-
vention today on The Country Schools
of North Dakota. The facts and fg-
ures contained in this address were
secured by Professor Abbott himself
after thorough canvass of the state.
Professor Abbott said in part:
1t is only within recent years that
we as people have awakened to
fun realization Of the fact that the
true end and aim Of all education is
to develop social efficiency. The ne
cess1ties of these strenuous times de-
mand Of a man that he be able, above
all things else, to function efficiently
as a member of that community within
which his lot in life Is cast. If the
interests of that community lie along
the lines of agriculture, then 1t is his
duty as well as his urgent necessity
to be able to meet and grapple sue
cessfully with the problems of an ag-
ricultural environment. If he is to
do this in the fullest measure, his
early years must furnish him with
a measure of training so that when
the time comes he will be ready.
kind so that he will be able to meet
life in all its infinitely varied pos
sibilities. but 1t must be shaped deffn-
itely along the lines of his great life
work and of the dominant interest OF
the community of which he is a part
Again would repeat to you the state
ment that agriculture must have a
larger part in the rural schools of an
agricultural commonwealth.
Such we are In North Dakota and
such we will remain. Even If we were
in possession Of figures to show the
great prominence of the farming popu-
lation 1t would be hardly worth while
to take the time necessary for their
consideration Even our cities would
be rated as of small consequence in
the older sections of this country. But
even making use of our western stand
ards to distinguish between city and
village jewellers on the one hand and
farmers on the other, we find that
the tiliers Of the soil have an immense
advantage In numbers in North Da-
kota. This same large proportion, we
will find applies equally in matters
of schools and education. Forty three
of the forty-seven county superin-
tendents of the state, on being ques-
toned on the matter report that with
In the boundaries of their counties
there are 4076 distinctly rural schools
The unreported counties contain
something over 400, making a total
of 4,476. The report of the superin :
tendent of public instruction for the
past two years shows a total of 5,907
schools for the whole state 1t can
easily be seen that over rs per cent
of them are located in the rural re-
gions. 1t is evident then, that our
past efforts educationally have been
directed along the lines that mean the
greatest benefit to the one-fourth with
only passing consideration for the
rnuch more important three-fourths.
One illustration of this Is the rapid
growth and development Of our sys.
tenn Of state high schools 1t is time
indeed that we faced about and took
saner view of the situation.
Money Thrown Away.
Whatever faults there may have
been or now are in our school system
we cannot be accused of any parsl-
nlony or niggardliness in the amount
of money that we spend. 1t is not so
much the amount that we spend as
the manner of spending it that is open
to serious criticism, Thousands of dol
lars are being little better than thrown
away every year in the conducting
of ridiculously small schools, insuffi-
GENTLY equipped, directed by incom-
petent and poorly paid teachers ana
wholly lacking in that stimulating en-
thusiasm that always goes with the
association together of a number of
individuals, whether young or old, in
any similar enterprise You will be
a bit surprised to learn that forty two
of the counties mentioned above, from
which detailed facts were received re-
port that Ats per cent of their rural
schools show an average daily attend
ance of ten or less; S.3 are of five or
less; 1913 are of seven or less; and so
on up the list with the inspiring num-
her of ten per cent in the column
showing an average daily attendance
of ten. The average rural school of
the state shows an average attendance
of 11.6 while the cities and villages,
counting each department as a school,
show an average of 26.7.
A close approximation based on the
figures alluded to would place the total
number Of children in average daily
attendance in the rural schools ut
1892 and in city and village schools
at 1927. Practically all of the rural
schools are of one department, so that
the number of teachers would cor
respond quite closely with the number
Of schools. Adding twenty-four to the
number to account for the few con-
solidated schools of more than one
department, we have total of 1880
rural teachers engaged in teaching
51,922 pupils, or an average OF 11.3
pupils each. The current report of
the state superintendent shows d total
Of 6,102 teachers at work in the state
This would leave 1902 for the city
and village schools and we find them
with an average of 1888 pupils each.
According to the same authority, the
average wages paid to all teachers of
the state are $3.50 monthly and to
rural teachers, $4S.73. That Is we are
paying our rural teachers within S307
Of as much for teaching less than half
as many pupils. Would you call this
the best of business economy?
DO not misunderstood me. however,
as meaning that the rural teachers
should be reduced for this reason, even
IL they could be reduced. They give
their time in equally as full measure
as do the Others Rather. we ought
to direct our efforts to bring about u
condition where greater returns would
be realized on what is spent for their
salaries and what lis invested in the
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