Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-06-21
KEY TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT.
Build the School and Uplift the Com
munity.

Editor Yorkville Enquirer:
During the last few months. l have
been thinking a good deal Of the pub
lie schools, especially in the rural dis
tricts of our state. Various phases OF
the subject have been in my mind.
While l have not had access to official
statistics, l feel sure hazard nothing
to say, in a good many particulars
South Carolina is not keeping pace
with some of the other states In the
matter of educational progress. But
it is not my purpose to institute In
this paper a comparison to the dispar-
agement of our own beloved state. IL
is rather to call attention to what l
consider the most important phase of
public school education in our own
state in common with other states;
viz, the rural school.
There Is no phase Of our education
al work that is so deserving or con-
sideration as our country schools.
This statement Is made adVisedly for
the following reasons:
I. The rural school is an important
factor in the solution of the larger
problem of rural life. Without at
tempting to justify the use of the term
problem" in application to rural
schools, suffice 1t to say, the situation
is sufficiently complex on account or
a sufficient number of particulars 10
justify it's use.
II is generally admitted that many
of the institutions Of country life are
on the decline. The country church Is
weakening, the ravages Of time are
erasing the glamour of the old time
home that Is now occupied by tenants,
farms are left to the renter, the own
ers have moved to the city. many ru-
raj districts are we'll nigh depleted OF
white population, indeed there Is
manifest general decay of country life.
These facts of manifest rural deca-
dence and the increasing city popula-
ton give cause for alarm and demand
serious reflection. The cry: Back to
the country" Is not without signifi-
cance 1t grows out Of the realization
on the part of thoughtful men or
serious condition that Is confronting
our people. Whatever other hypothe-
ses may be advanced as the cause OF
this rural decadence and consequent
congested influx of city population, it
is certainly true that a larger per
cent of most desirable country inhab-
itants are leaving their homes to Sc
cure better educational facilities for
their children.
This argues an almost universally
felt need for improved educational ia
cilities in the rural districts. 1t is to
the Improvement of our rural schools
that we must look for the betterment
of social conditions in country COM
munities, religious interests, and the
resuscitation of country life. 1t is to
this Improvement in rural schools. we
must look for the source of those
forces of attractiveness of social condi-
tions, educational refinement, spiritu-
al and physical prosperity, which will
serve to promote that ardently longed
for and satisfying beauty of social and
religious condition, educational and
material fulness of life. To the rural
school more than any other institution
which functions for social, educational
religious and material prosperity, one
must look for the solution of this COM
pleX problem which today confronts
US.
II. The rural school has been large
ly neglected, or apparently neglected.
The thoughts and efforts of our lead
ers of education have been largely alb
sorbed in otner phases of educational
k.
been intentional neglect. But through
out the country the rural schools have
not been held definitely in conscious
ness. Other educational agencies have
occupied first thought and the inter-
est in the rural schools has been, II
not mainly, largely incidental The
thought and effort of our leaders of
education have been devoted largely
to teacher training" 1t may be true
that the argument for teacher training
institutions grew out of the felt needs
of the rural schools-elementary
schools; but the agency was so great
that the ultimate purpose has been
eclipsed.
|. The attention and interest centered
on this phase of educational interest
has produced results; so that now we
have in successful operation credit
able system of normal, or teacher
training schools. But the establish
ment of normal schools does not
necessarily improve the rural schools.
Not only teachers must be prepared
for teaching: but schools must be pre-
pared to be taught. The rural school
then must be brought into greater
prominence. Upon it interest, thought
and effort must be focused. In the ru-
raj school lies our vital educational
problem. The solution of this com
plex problem is the solution of our
multicomplex -country-life problem.
III. Our rural schools in the ele-
mentary and secondary departments
have made very little progress. While
universities. colleges. normal and city
schools have been making commenda-
BILE progress, our rural schools have
been making time only. Oh, to be
sure, some little progress has been