The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-21
ON DOWN GRADE
Rural Schools in Kansas Are
Losing Their Hold.
State Superintendent FairchiId
Makes Startling Statement.
CHANGES BADLY NEEDED
Advocates Organization of
Township High Schools.
"Higher Education"
CHANGES BADLY NEEDED

state Superintendent Fairchi1d de-
clared today that the rural schools
or the country are not as strong and
sfflcIent as they were thirty years ago
Ehat with all the advance Of modern
methods and training and fads and
theories and book commissions and
steam heat and ball bearing grades
and female basketball teams and class
pins and coIOrS for city schools that
the country schools are retrogra ding
The days of the old time country
sChOOImaster are gone and in his place
appears girl who in most cases has
not gone beyond the eighth grade in
school work The attendance is de-
creasing- The older boys and girls do
not go TO the country school any
more. only the little children Of the
primary grades attend
Superintendent FafrchiId went east
last winter as the chairman Of the ma
tiona1 commission of rural schools
and brought this matter Of the neglect
of the rural schools before education
al foundations and magazines editors
of the eastern centers- Every man
approached by the Kansas school man
was Interested and impressed by his
figures and statements
For years superintendent Fairchf1d
has been the champion of the rural
schools in Kansas The state legIS-
latEre met him half way with his
plans and passed half dozen school
bills three years ago that have helped
the country schools great deal
Normal and high school training in
country districts and Capitalization
Of schools and aid for weak districts
and uniform terms are among the
measures that Fairchiid has favored
in the past But now he is engaged in
a bigger. harder work He wants
with the city school and college in |
proportion to the difference that must
n naturally exist in favor of the centers /
of wealth and progress over rural
communities
Rural school Commission
If we had d commission working /
for the rural schools said Mr. FAIR i
child, '-of the same caHbre and inf7u- /
ance of the members of Governor
Stubs commission on higher education +
that met not long ago in the interest
1f the universities. we could accom-
oIish wonders for the elementary school
n a few years
Superintendent F'airchild IS loaded
;or bear on the subject Of rural schools
md their neglect and decay It Il
al and sensible and engaged in a big
work
This is the age Of rapid development
# ali kinds Of endeavor." said the SUI
,erintendent- schools along with the
ther things For instance. Kansas
Ugh schools have Increased in ef1icl-
ncy 1BU per cent; grade schools 50 Per
ent and the cost of schools has in
reased so per cent
The elementary schools receive the
attention of no one
''Fffty-five per cent Of the children III
he grade schools get through the grade
There are 100000 of the states
16, 600 school children in the country
md less than p per cent of these 100000
in the elementary schools geE
Trough the grades
There are 70 million children Of
and
, million Of these are IN the country
-ess than % per cent of these gee
Trough the grades
Conditions have changed in this
ountry in the last % years The de-
hands are greater by 100 per cent
This is a most exacting age and it is
Increasing in every way and in every
.artfctIIar Qualifications must be bet
er Standards must be higher The
machine has the advantage
ver the old hub and axle
Schools Not So Good.
The training of our fathers r not
uouen for today The boy must have
wider outlook Yet the boy in the
raining as did his father The schools
re not so good as they were . years
60
-sOh. 1 know this sounds like rank
eresy OF my part as a school man. ,
ut il is true The classification and J
1ufpment are better. but the enroll .
...m-= :