The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1912-04-04
Orr COUNTRY SCHOOLS

written by Ella W BaDCOck, COUNTY
Superintendent OF schools.
If | were TO formulate an educa-
tiOnal creed for the country schools
II would contain two articles, namely:
first. the country child is entitled tc
every whit as good an educational op-
portunity as that enjoyed by the mos
favored city child attending tn
American Public School; second. 10
secure this right for the country child
the people must spend more money OF
the country school. My educational
decalOgue for school officers and
teachers may be reduced to one simpl.
commandment, namely, Thou shalt
enrich and enlarge the life of the
country child This is simple
creed. 1t does not claim thar the
country school shall be the same kind
of school as the city school, there
is a difference of environment that
must be considered The country
school for its specific work should be
Just as efficient as the best town
school is for its specific work, there
are certain fundamentals that ar
common to both systems and it is the
| country child'S right to have these
fundamentals taught him without so
| much educational waste. ''-
The last few years in Sedgwick Co.
have witnessed great advancements il
he educational interests of the country
| school. considerable money has been
expended for material equipment in
| the way of better buildings. outside
improvements. libraries, manual train
| ing, etc.
The short time | have been County
| Gu ri, .,f -,.hn h,., oh
me the splendid efforts put forth by
| directors, patrons and teachers for the
betterment OF our schools in Sedgwick
county. | assure you that We com
pare favorably with the schools o.
other counties in Colorado.
| Let us give the country school all
| the credit for the great work it is do
| ing.
What we desire for it is that it shall
improve in at least the same ratio
as the rest OF the rural Institutions
1t must do still greater work The
country child has rights. He is en-
titled to square deal in opportuni-
ties to enjoy the best that the civiliza-
ton of the world thus far has pro-
duced. To him should come art.
music and literature He has also the
right to good leadership which can
come only from the genuine teacher,
Let ME quote here Edwin Growers
| Teachers Creed II believe in
boys and girls. the men and women OF
a great tomorrow: that whatsoever
the boy soweth the man shall reap.
believe in the curse of ignorance, in
the efficacy of schools, in the dignity
of teaching. in the JOY of serving an
other believe in the wisdom As
revealed in human lives as well as in
the pages of printed book; in lessons
taught not so much by precept as by
example; in ability to work with the
hands as well as to think with the
head; in everything that makes life
large and lovely. | believe in beauty
in the school room, in the home, in
daily life and out of doors. believe
in laughter and love, in all ideals and
distant hopes that lure us on. be-
lieve that every hour of every day we
receive a just reward for all we are
and all we do | believe in the pres
ent and its opportunities. in the flu
ture and its promises, and in the di-
vine joy of living.
| There are seven Il believes in the
above and the creed seems complete.
1t seems to me that nothing should
| be added or taken away. A
teacher believing and living such a
creed in the country schools Will be
an insprational force to country chill
dren. The country school needs
more of wisdom in human lives. Such
a teacher will teach by example the
true dignity of work with the hands"
and Danish the false idea that an ed
ucation will somehow enable one to
get living without work. A teacher
living this creed will teach her chill
dren to see and appreciate the wond-
rous beauty of country life. She will
help to spritualize country thought
and life for she believes in beauty in
the school room, in the home, in daily
life and out of DOORS If every country
school teacher would actually live the
above creed the nation would witness
the greatest change ever wrought in
the history Of the American public
school
plead for the spiritualzation of
country life Education must do this.
\ new educational idea in the country
schools will lead the boys and girls
to see more of the divine joy of liv-
ing" in the country. These boys and
girls are some Of the men and women
of a great tomorrow.
The country school should be so or
ganiZed as to meet the new conditions
OF life. 1t ought not to be continu-
ally necessary for people to go to the
city for art, music and lectures.
The proper organization and admin
istraton of schools will bring to the
farm all these things. already things
done encourage the hope of realization.
The great promise and the great