The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-09-05
SCHOOL SYSTEM
BETTER IN CANADA
N. c. McD Donald, School In
spector, Visited Schools
Across the Line.

Valley City. n. D.. Sept. 5.-North
Dakota is behind Canada in the con-
duct of its rural schools, efficiency in
training and pay Of teachers. is the
conclusion arrived at by \. c. Mac
donald. state inspector Of schools. who
has just returned from a trip through
Canada to study the system of rural
schools. MIR. Macdonald says:
within the past two weeks l have
been in he province of Manitoba Wis
iting schools. / made this trip at my
own expense to secure some more in
formation at first hand concerning
their rural schools. l visited several
rural and town schools. besides con-
ferring with the minister Of education
and his assistants. In "a few essential
respects their country schools are
much in advance of ours. This is so
in the matter of terms. salaries and
qualifications OF teachers. c%onsolida-
ton of schools. upper grade enroll
ment. and examinations. Their rural
schools n many town schools open
the middle of August and continue till
the first Of July. Thus the average
term In their rural schools is more
than three months longer than the
average term in our rural schools. In
the year 1910 it was So days longer,
but as we have now Il law prescribing
a minimum term Of seven months. the
difference will not be so great this
year. Their rural school teachers
have on the average four years more
Iof training and receive a salary that
was $22a higher in the year 1910.
From what data 1 have now on hand
I should say the difference will this
year be still greater in their favor.
There no n can legally teach in n
kind Of rural school without normal
training. while here 1t is the unusual
thing to find a normal trained teacher
in the rural schools. They have done
we have, and are doing so right now.
Their upper grade enrollment-eighth
grade and high schools much high
Ter than r on a percentage basis;
and their eighth grade finals are more
exacting.
High Qualifications.
II had known that these conditions
obtained before l made the trip: but
1t was to find out why by personal in
vestigation, as we'll as t learn some
things by seeing their teachers at work
impressed with their attitude towards
schools and scholarship. They hold
both in high regard. This is particu-
larly noticeable in their attitude
towards the elementary schools in
cluding the rural schools. 1t is shown
in n of several ways by the larger
pro rata share of money that is spent
annually upon them. The municipal
and provincial grants-our county and
state tuition funds-are there appor-
toned upon the number of teachers
employed in connection with the num-
Der of days taught. Thus there is a
premium placed upon having a longer
term, and sufficient number of quail
fed number OF qualified teachers. This
is called the MISUNDERSTANDING" ba-
sis. We use the school age basis,
which has nothing to do with the
number of teachers employed or the
days taught except in the case Of the
county tuition fund which requires a
term OF six months in order to parti-
cipate in the sharing of this fund.
An effort was made to remedy this
matter in a modest way some few
years ago. but the law was repealed
support is furnished by the municipal.
ity and province (our county and
stated This eliminates local politics
and the tendency to run cheap schools
lin the rural districts. They pay high.
er wages. and get better qualified
teachers; we "a lower wages and gel
lower qualified teachers. They en-.
ISo0I d6c SOjlsOlludtlOH ny an aOQltlOna
grant Of over one thousand dollars
while We attempt to do so by a gran,
of not more than one hundred dollars
), Pay Better Salaries.
II Among other things. the Longer
terms and better qualified teacher.
give them a higher percentage Of pu.
pills in the upper grades and enable:
these pupils to pass their more diff.
cult examinations. Their inspectors
who correspond to our county super
intendents. are appointed for an indie
!, finite tenre. In these offices they hav,
!. had five changes in eight years. Will.
: We have had ver forty in the sam,
I time. They are paid more, too. TIL,
: minister Of education. who CORE
! spends to u state superintendent O
= pubic instruction. is appointed for
; term Of four years. His salary is Sc.
500. or $4,000 more than is paid ou,
corresponding official. His qualinca
= tons and work are no greater either
: Thus the element Of politics is re
duced to a minimum, the salaries ar,
commemorate with the duties of tn,
Offices, and the schools in the end ar,
the real beneficiaries. Here the sal
, aries are small. and with two election
every other year. the ablest men an
women seldom enter. and those VIII,
do sometimes tire Of the struggle an,
retire or are retired Just when the,
are doing their best work for tn
chonl