The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-03-23
County School Letter

the carelessness and Indifference
of which whiting and marked
desks are an! unmistakable evil
dence.
The pupil whose desk islwhittled
and marked (byihimself) should be
ashamed of the spirit of destruct-
iveness and vandalism (which it
shows.
We visited such a school the
other. day in a community where
we are certain there is not an oc-
cupied dwelling that has not shades
for all of it's windows and even lace
curtains for most of them and yet
the school room of that ,communi-
ty is without, a single shade for the
windows to protect the pupils eyes
and to relieve the b%arrenness of
the unsightly walls. Should there
be a home in that community
without shades and we we're to
visit that home the occupants
would undoubtedly apologize for
The fact that they were without
shades, and this room, III which 80
children of the district spend six to
seven hours a day is without
shades and We heard no word of
regret. and the fact that it is with
out n singlelshade is rather strong
evidence that there. is not much
regret. Why should we not put
the same pride and forethot into
ouraaschoolssthst we put into our
homes.
The eighth grade examination
will be held on May 25th and Goth.
Another one will be given some
time about the. goth of July or the
middle of August,
Thru some unreliable source
several teachers have gained the
impression hat pupils who take
the eighth grade examination one
year and fail may be exempt from
taking the examination in any
subjects the next year which are
up to the average required. This
ls an error. The Department of
Education has never authorized
such a procedure and has advised
against it. No standings of the
year before have ever been ac.
cepted in this county. The real
object of this examination is to
determine whether the pupil has
creditably completed the common
school course and to determine
Whether be is capable Of pursuing
the higher course of preparatory
schools. 1t would not be fair,
either to the pupils themselves or
to the state, to allow aJcramming
thru on part of the subjects one
year and a examining thru on the
rest the next year. That carries
with it too much the idea of lust
anything to get thru. Two examin- !
atoms are given each spring and
summer and good standings from
iI1 iormer one are accepted at the I
after one. This is as fair an ar {
-angement as could be asked. 1
-Four sets -four each) of supple
'nentary grade readers have been t
ordered by Miss Katherine Daub i
or her school-Daisy Valley. A /
ull set of maps and a set Of en- {
'lyclopedia. Miss Daub and her
,uplls raised over forty dollars at
entertainment recently. !,
Most of the superintendent over I
he state are urging the school 7
to re-engage their success /,
ni teachers before the term closes.
living them an increase in salary
when it is necessary. If this a
policy were followed generally il .
would relieve the scarcity of teach. 9
RS. City schools and town schools q
invariably engage their teachers "
cry early and pay a salary that
Commands successful experienced p
eaehers. There is every reason b
vhy the country schools should 90 b
bout the hiring OF their teachers 1
tho same b~usiness-iike wav5 o,