The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1912-12-30

ties our state offers those who are
able and willing to work intelligently.
The Rural School.
Until recently the rural school
seemed to be a neglected part of the
educational system OF the country.
For years these schools had received
little or no attention with view to
improving them or to making it pos
sible for boy or girl to receive in
them more than the the rudiment-
airy educational training. The higher
educational institutions were grow
ing rapidly and were literally sup
ported. The high school received
attention early in our existence as q
state, but the rural school received
no direct attention and the financial
support was far from adequate to
make it possible to build and equip
rural schools which could be called
etttcient. There has been an awak-
ening among the people and the i'm
portance OF the rural school has been
realized. It cannot be said that the
rural schools are improving as rapid
~ as we would desire, but there is a
noticeable Improvement in that field
or education. The people now realize
that without Str9ng rural schools our
entire educational system will fail
to meet the requirements of the times,
Our laws at present are reasonably
adequate to provide for strong coun-
try schools. All that is necessary is
to create public sentiment in favor
or the best schools that are to be had.
Ihat public sentiment is rapidly
growing in this matter is shown by
what Is being done in many sections
or our state. There is hardly a coun-
ty in the state but that has one or
more rural schools that are away in
advance of the average rural school
In the state. The fact that there are
such schools is having a beneficial ef-
feet. What one rural district does
can be done by others. The country
school is the most important part Of
the educational system of our coun-
try and from those schools will come
the solution of most If not all the CIV
llc problems that confront the people
today .
The forces that are bringing about
better results in the country districts
are meetings of school officers, con-
tests among pupils in the growing of
corn, fruit, vegetables and poultry.
Several very successful county con-
tests have been held in this state dur
ing the past two years and with ex-
cellent results. School boards in ru-
raj distdicts are beginning to realize
that 1t requires time, effort and money
to provide a good school. The aver
age term of school is longer and build
ings are better equipped for school
purposes and more liberal salaries are
paid teachers. These things are pro-
ducing results.
The total number of rural or one
room school in this state June 80,
1911, was 4,7S2. The figures for 1912
at present writing are not available,
but will appear in this report and will
show slight increase over 1911. In
these 4,732 schools the great majori-
Z NJ fhA NF
their entire educational training, con-
Sequently these schools should be
made the best possible. The average
term of school in the rural school is
about seven and one-half months. This
should be longer. Wages paid teach
ers have steadily increased. The aver
age last year was $4S.70. When we
Tor not more than eight or nine
months during the year this makes a
very Inadequate salary.
The most serious defect in our
schools at the present time is the ir-
regular attendance or the non-attend-
ance Of pupils in the rural schools.
In the farming districts, which include
OF school to assist in the farm work.
To remedy this I recommend a rigid
enforcement of the compulsory at
tendance law which can be brought
about only by the appointment of a
truant officer with ample powers. See
recommendation 4, below. .....,
Improvement OF our rural schools
will be brought about by a judicious
state aid and consolidation of small
schools where conditions warrant and
public stntiment will sustain. The
divisions of this report on state aid
and consolidation should be studied.
carefully by the school officers of the
state.
Recommendations.
1 beg leave to make the following
recommendations:
to provide for the choosing of super
intendent of public instruction and
superintendent of rural schools in
a non-partfsan manner. The qualifica-
tons, duties, compensation and term
Of Office should be fixed by law. The
term of office of these officers should
be at least four years. This change
cannot be brought about without
amendments to sections so and $50
OF our state constitution.
2. Liberal state aid to consolidated
schools located in rural districts.
3. The minimum term in any school
Of the state should be eight months.
4. School board should be empow-
cred to appoint truant officers who
Snoulu no gwen duLuoElLy 10 COInpSl
attendance at school during all the
time school is in session, Of all pupils
of school age.
5. Section 154 of the state consti-
tuition should be amended so as to
allow the state apportionment to be
made on the basis Of attendance of
pupils rather than on the total number
of children Of school age residing in
district irrespective of attendance.
6. The law providing for the trans
portation Of pupils should be amended
so as to make tt more easily admins
tered. The law has been on our stat
ute books for about eight years ana
has been and is at present a great
source of trouble. The law should
provide that all pupils residing more
than two and one-half miles from
school should receive transportation
for the distance in excess of that dis
tance.
z. 1t should be the duty Of the coun-
ty board of health to inspect school
houses and outbuildjngs with power
to condemn the same. This board
should be given authority to compel
school boards to repair and. If nec-
eSsary to remodel school buildings.
s. Medical inspection OF pupils
should be provided for at the expense
Of the district. r
g. Persons desiring to teach in the
public schools should be required TO
make special preparation for the
work. I recommend that law be
enacted requiring all persons who re-
ceive certificates to teach in the state
after June 80, 1915, to have complet-
ed at least a four-year high school
course. The elementary graduates OF
our state normal schools should be
- ~. ~ I1r reSA