The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-03-21
County S,lsaal Letter

SUu Ii.
Mr.. f. D. Woods class OF begin
ner's has made exceptionally good
progress; they have read several
primers ana FIRST readers this year
and DO their wogS very readily and
intellieently.
Give what is night 10 the rural
pupils"
DO You want better schools I?
Then help 10 make them better"
The following article by Alfred
Nenz in The Dakota Farmer
should be rsad and studied by
every man and woman who lives
IN 1he country, There is much
valuable truth in it;
Agricultural education is re-
cosuized III Minnesota AS being an
essential part OF the public school
system. Agriculture is the great
est Business of tie state and a large
share Of the population is engaged
in 1t, The farmers boys and girls
throng the schools and Minnesota
is awakening to the fact that they
have a night to a good education,
which shall connect the world of
brains with the world of their work
Schooling usually has been a
thing apart. especially rural school
ing. The children would see in
the farm a place to drudge and
toll they would see in the school
another place having no relation
ship whatever to their homes and
means Of livelihood. Education
has actually been weaving them
from the soil, has often put into
their heads notions of making an
elegant living by wits rather than
a sincere living by work. 10 place
education on a sound sensible
basis has been the aim of MINES
ota. The people have come to see
that they must start g. the bottom
with the small grade schools. The
state institutions OF learning have
been given royal support. The
sectarlan colleges often get rich
gifts. 1t is considered quite the
thing to put great sums of money
into education-higher education
that only a few boys and girls get
q chance at. Public opinion III
Minnesota is not opposed to this,
out it is advocating a much bigger
ldea, that of aiding country and
town schools where tie boys and
girls get their start and where
most of them do have a chance.
The college end of education is
thoroly organized widely advertised
manned by ~forceful leaders who
are accustomed to getting what
ever they go after. "Ihe little red
school houses are scattered, nave
no powerful friends in the legisla
ture, and have little sentiment
OF them save a mushy "Hurrah
the 4sh of July, which dies into
neglect for the rest Of the year.
The shame OF i'll The colleges
touch only a few, the %"little red
school house. serves nearly all.
Yet the colleges too often dominate
and dictate, actually run the whole
thing for their own particular end,
make the ~''little red school houses"
mere entries 10 the college, of little
value except as preparatory schools
for some other institution, which
gets the brightest students and
usually sends them into the cities
away from the farm. This did not
look right to the people of MINES.
They got to saying, colleges
are of great value. but we can't
them oversiladow our little
schools at home. We have been
to think it shows wonderful
wisdom to put much money into
colleges. Why not put much
money into our %''little red schools"
which serve all cur children? 1t
is needed there if it is needed any
where. Every one of our boys and
girls will then be helped. And
when weget to putting more money