The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-07-26
Supt. FairchiId MOurns Last of
Old Rural System.
Majority of Children Do Not
Have Proper Advantages.
HE URGES BETTER TEACHERS
Senator BristOw Celebrates His
51st Birthday.
Four TOpekans Are Listed in
Postal Directory.

Washington, July 26-"The rural
school is the one laggard in the educa-
tional procession" declares Prof. T. T.
Fairchild. Kansas state superintendent
of public instruction, in a monograph
just published for free distribution By
the United States bureau of education.
This condition is due, among other
things. to the fact th~4 the emphasis
Of educational thought has been placed
on the city schools. the high schools.
and the colleges. at the expense of the
rural school. Mr.. Fairchild also finds
that "the ever-increasing trend of pop
ulation toward the cities, and the grow
ing per cent of tenant farmers, have
had distinct and deterrent effect upon
our country schools.
THE following is a true, though not
full Indictment" continues Mr.. Fair
child. "Of the 100000 rural school
children, constituting a clear majorit-
of the whole number Of the youth of
school age. less than 26 per cent arc
completing the work of the grades. The
teaching body is immature and lacks
proper training. Terms are short.
School buildings are poor. insanitary.
and ill-equipped. The school enroll
ment is constantly decreasing. The
supervision is wholly inadequate. Cost
of instruction is higher than in the
grades. High school privileges are de-
MED the great majority of these boys
and girls.
The Old School No More.
1.-The strong. virile. rural school of
a generation ago has gone, and in it's
place is a primary school weak in
numbers and lacking in efficiency.
The country boy and girl of this
tury are not afforded equal educa-
tional opportunities.
"A vital weakness in our rural
school system is the lack of a genu-
inc demand for properly trained
teachers. 1 have knowledge of one
state that bears an excellent reputa-
ton educationaIly where, out of 5000
rural school teachers in 1910, 400
were found to have had no training
beyond the eighth grade.
If we want to get more out of
the rural schools, we must put more
| into them. We can never have the
| best rural schools until we have
aroused public interest in them The
national life and character of to-
morrow is set and directed by the
schools of today.
THE country is the nations great
recruiting ground. To it the city has
always looked for its supply of men
who do the great things, who COM
mand armies, build Industries, take
the initiative.
1T is true that the cities are the
centerS or organization. but they are
not self-sustaining. The rural popu-
lation must always be the bone and
sinew of any country. More than
one half of our school population is
trained in the rural schools. These
schools are inadequate
Senator Bristow Is 81.
Senator Joe Bristow Of Kansas ceIebrat-
ed his 51st birthday last Monday. He first
dipped into politics in 1895, and has been
active ever since. incidentally, he has
been running a paper at Salina, Kan,
ever since 1890. Senator BristoW since
1895 has been successfully private secre-
tary to Governor Morrill, of Kansas,
fourth assistant postmaster general, sec
retary of the Kansas Republican COM
mfttee, director of the investigation into
cuban postal frauds, and special commits
soner of the Panama railroad.
Kansans, be careful about addressing
your mail to the state capital-Topeka-
According to the revised postal guide
there are now four cities in the United
States by the name of Topeka. They are
as follows: Topeka, Mason county, I'LL
nois; Topeka, Lawrence county, MISSISSIPPI
pi; Topeka La Grange county, Indiana:
Topeka, Shawnee county, Kansas
Thomas a. Corporon has been appointed
at WeSKan. Kan.