Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1911-01-11
NEWARK POST, NEWARK, DEL. JANUARY u, 1911

cheaper when combined in one build
ing than when in separate buildings.
The larger school means better L.
Drafies, hence good literature.
Consolidated schools reduce irrecu-
lar attendance and hardness.
1t makes compliance with our com
pu.sory attendance law more feasible
1t is the general testimony tina, III,
iealth Oh the pupils IS better because
OF transportation facilities
he pupils are protected from
storms; quarreling and fighting OF,
| vented
The morals of the pupils are guarded
| and controlled on the way to and
| from school,
| he objections to consolidation are
almost invariably either faiaciful or
! seihsh. Trivial excuses are offered to
outweigh the most precious inheritance
that a child NAV receive.
he great objection to consolidated
schools IN the i.,inds Of those who are
not informed, is the supposed difficulty
OF transporting pupils. Dean Daven-
good country schools cannot be es-
tabished within walking distance OF
each other. Transportation is inher-
eht IN any effective system, and it is
inevitable. Il then. we are ever go
ing to have efficient rural schools, we
must carry most OF the pupils to them.
I, But from the figures that | have
been able to gather, this difficulty is
1 more p,1f al
county in Kansas the total expense in
lhe maintenance OF SIX schools Tor a
year was $3275. After they were con-
Sohdated the cost OF maintaining the
consolidated school, inc. trGir1c trans
portation, was S27Io, saving OF $500.
In another county, the cost per month.
per pupil, based on average da,iy at,
tendance, was $3o2, juct before con-
soiidation, and Sass just after con
Solidalon; saving OF dolIa- per
month per pupil
In Massachusetts the ,epc.t q, the
Department Of Education states .h,,
. the expense OF consolidation has gen
. orally been less than the cost of main.
tanning the schools at the time OF
f Closing the schools consolidated lr
! La Grange county, Indiana, the ne,
saving made by abandoning 50 school.
IN year, was S67. 3D.
Another reason in .avor OF the con.
, solidated school is. that domestic
} science can be taught to the olde,
girls las well as elementary ayricu
: ture to the more advanced bows. These
! subjects have already passed the ex
perimental stage in our secondary
S schools. and their value has been de
: monstrated
In conclusion, | wish to saw that
S had three reasons in mind in present
i ing the QUESTION of public schools
j The first one is, that there are 400,
boys and girls in the State Of Delawar
: today between the ages of 10 and It
: years. The welfare of our State de
l. ponds in large degree upon the eff
J. cheney OF the training OF this grea
J. body OF young men and women.
d Prof. Robertson, the great Canada,
i educator, has recently said that ade
quate educational and training wor
S is not being done in this or any othe
n country for the young people lookin
IS towards rural life and agriculture
1t appears to me that the. solution {
G problems in Agriculture bearing upo
s. prosperous, beneficial rural lie, ar
inseparable from progress in educa
1t ton. including agricultural and indus
: trial education" II this is so, is Their
d any better place to start this prog-es
lie than in our country schools and
ir there better time to start than now
Secondly, from somewhat care,
J. study OF the question, il seems to m
Of that the consolidation of our coul
lie try schools is the most promising sol,
re ton to the rural school problem an
Sc is worthy of the most careful consde
y. alton of this order
n Third, there is at work in this Stat
d. now commission appointed by tt
te Governor, to make a study OF o,
Of school laws and to make report
the next legislature. We are spendin
re something like 100000 per year il
n education in this State, and yet wit
n the expenditure OF this vast sim
money the State has no definite cd1
ID, cational policy and we stand SSH
.iteracy.
I'd Can not the Grange do somethr
to familiarize patrons with the COZ
lie dition of our rural schools so III
to they may act intelligently and tog
or Their when the matter comes up t'
ed the consideration Of our laW1naker