The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-11-29
IOur State Schools
continued from page G)

II may also be shown that the crys
n .',,od system is less efficient In IN,
grst Mace. as already pointed out il
n ,he preceding paragraph, the same
n ,a,ol expenditure furnishes smallti
n ,nnne, output bf trained teacher
NJ ,or fine state In the second place
N he schools requiring such large ia
onlties employ more assistants, ano
n mis- sometimes means less mature
instruction. Again, in states where
N be central plan is in operation, a
great number of private norAals are
Swinging up for revenue only ana
tend to lower the educational stand
ards of the state. Finally the teach
ers who are trained in these csAtra'
schools with magnificent buildpgs
and grounds and the latest equipment
are apt to feel that they can not DO
GOOD work as teachers without large
equipment and modern buildings.
They are not inclined, therefore 70
accept positions in the humber dis
,ricts. but Invariably seek the city
environment when the> so out to
teach.
In this way, Capitalization of our
normal facilities tends TO withhold
from the rural schools the benefits
OF trained teachers and 20 ieaye them
more and more in the hanas Ql me
unprepared. On the other hand a
number OF smaller normals, located
in different sections Of the state stim.
uates the people to demand better
preparation on ,he part OF those who
would teach whether IL be in the
city or in the country The tendency
throughout inc states Is TO set away
from the old idea of continuation
and bring the normal school facilities
within reach Of the people.
Another branch Of ony system ot
state schools that has 5een called
into qquestion is our disr!cJ asncul-
tural schools We have 10 Oklahoma
a we'll eqipped A. & NJ. college anG
six district schools. 1t has been said
that these branch schOD,s are not
needed that they are an unnecessry
burden upon the tax payer and nat
they have no proper place III our
scheme of education If this be true,
it is very unfortunate that the moYc.
ment in favor of such schools is grow
ing so rapidly throughout all The az
ricultural states of the Union Mich
igan, Wisconsin. Minnesota, and Nlr-
ginia have established a number OF
such schools Maine has appointed
a legislative commission TO report on
ways and means Of promoting ag-
ricultural education in rural districts
of the state; in 1911, a bill passed
both houses of the Missouri legisla-
ture authorizing lie establishment
of county agricultural schools through
out the state. The state OF Georgia
has eleven agricultural schools sup
ported By the state Msslssiph mas
twenty-four; in 1910, Louisiana was
supporting seventeen and in 1911 she
added eight more. making twenty-five
in all. Alabama has maintained four
teen of these schools Turing the last
few years and recently she has built
nine new ones. The movement is
abroad in the land and there is a
valid reason TO rit There is an ever
increasing demand for that kind Of
education which develops the partic-
ular aptitudes and skill necessary ia
utilize. to the Best advantage, the
natural resources of ones environ
ment In most Of our states the great
natural resources is the soil This is
particularly true OF Oklahoma Sixty
five per cent OF her entire area is al
ready in farms she is preeminentI1
an agricultural state. With MS, there
for, certainly there could lie nothn-
more desirable than a thorough edu
cational equipment TO insure a seleh
tifc cultivation of the soil It is sa"
that in Oklahoma, our land values
have increased 2l6 per cent duin'
The past decade. These values NllI
no doubt. continue - increase a.
natural result Of our future sroNio
but it should be remembered tna
scientific agriculture is the best pro
moter Of land values and the bes
possible asset an agricultural peopI'
can have. number of small schooL
located in different parts Of the stat
and specifically designed and equipped
to encourage scientific cultivation o
the soil, is, therefore, one Of the YER
best investments state can make
If it be true as some seem 10 lhIn
that our district agricultural sc1ooi
are not doing the work in this dl'e.
ton commensurate with the staie
present annual expenditure, tle i'u
is in the general plan. but perhap
\ in the working out OF the detail
schould be remembered that we ar
yet young, as a state and that ines
Institutions have not had time
demonstrate to the whole people IN
possibilities OF the field in which the
' labor. In other words, the pfooie'
Of efficiency here. as IN tne case
our normals. is only one OF @SJus
mcnt
Of the remaining seven state lhs'
tutions, the two university prepar
tory schools are the only ones lh'