The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-06-08
What About our Rural schools7

Exclusive of the city of New Or
leans, seventy-five per cent OF the
children Of the state enrolled In any
school at all attend rural schools.
While conditions are good in some
OF them, and considerably improved
in many more, yet, as compared Win
town and city schools:
First-The buildings average less
than half as good.
Second-The teachers are approx
mately only two-thirds as well quail |
flied.
Third-The furniture, apparatus ana
equipment are hardly one-thlrd as
adequate.
Fourth-The term is but three
fourths as long.
Fifth-There is no time, equipment
or special ability among the teachers
to instruct in industrial subjects most
valuable to rural children.
Sixth-Cne teacher attempts tat
| tempts only to teach our times as
much subject matter.
Besides, these schools are handl-
capped by many other things from
which the town and city schools are
/ free.
Remember that these statements
are based upon the best available
statistics, and that the conditions ap-
ply to three-fourtns of the children
Of Louisiana, with the exception
noted.
The future wealth and prosperity
Of this state depend upon the de-
velopment Of our wonderful agrlcul-
tural and commercial possibilities;
these. in turn, depend upon the in
, creased intelligence and training OF
our rural young people. Prosperity OF
country, town and city alike depend
upon efficient rural education. These
are facts which we must admit.
The Improvement Of rural schools
requires more money Items 1-2-3-4-
81, and upon their Reorganization
(item 81. We must have better build
ings, better trained teachers. more
and better equipment, longer terms
and industrial work that will awaken
: children to the undeveloped re-
sources about them We must have
:. these things without waiting until
f. town and city schools gH1 every
thingethey may need. We 141st de
yelop trained intelligence in the flelo
e where it comes In direct contact witt
G the undeve1oped wealth and potentla
e prosperity which we may all enjoy
/ It is no longer sentiment; 1t is
e business proposition.
Further, we must discontinue
} practice which no business man o.
II farmer would tolerate; that of per
t. hitting small rural schools to at
tempt to teach the entire curriculum
a. for which the high school demand
1t seven highly trained teachers, labora
e, tories. and expensive equipment; W.
% must operate these schools on bus1
ness principles.
u School authorities and country pee
at pie are waking up from long, pair
n less sleep over these matters.
at stimulative fund of one hundred thol
0UI sand dollars distributed in q way I
affect the organization of ruri
"a schools would result in half mllllo
Of dollars worth of improvement Rur;
to people would gladly raise several do
to lars themselves for every one r
ceived from another source; perhaI
no other expenditure would bring
great returns.
- Do we believe rural school cond
= tons are right because they hay
~, existed thus for so long? Does II
-, = wealth, prosperity and general We
~ fare of the whole state depend pl
1t 1t marily upon the intelligence of o.
~ rural people? These are question
- involved in a consideration of II
- rural school. Such schools PROVE
~ the only educational means for mo
90 Of our youth, they are stunted
- development, deficient in every il
- = portant element contributing, to
~ ficienqs, yet fundamentally e. me
necessary and important type
~ school in the state, generating or
~. ~ tarding the factors essential to sta
,h- wide prosperity and greatness.
w C. j. BROWN,
10 State Supervisor Of Rural schoo