Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-12-27

the educational system of our coun.
try and from those schools will come
the solution OF most If not all the civ
ic 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 districts r beginning to realize
that it requires time, effort and mon.
ey to provide a good school. The av.
erage term OF school is longer and
buildings are better equipped for
school purposes and more liberal sal
aries are paid teachers. These things
are producing results.
The total number of rural or one.
room schools in this state June 3Oth,
1911, was 4,732. The figures for 1912
at present writing are not available,
but will appear in this report and will
show a slight increase over 1911. In
these 4,732 schools the great MAORI
ty of the youth of this state receive
their entire educational training, con-
sequently these schools should be
noIo tho hast pocc;hlo Tho oyororo
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 av-
erage. last year was $48.O. When we
remember that a teacher is employed
for not more than eight or niae
months during the year this makes a
very inadequate annual 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
our whole state, pupils are kept out
of schools to assist in the farm work.
To remedy this, | 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 sentiment will sustain. The
divisions of this report on state aid
and consolidation should be studied
carefully by the school officers of the
state.
Recommendations
/ beg leave to make the following
recommendations: v
l. Amend state constitution so as
to provide for the choosing OF SUI
perintendent of public instruction
and superintendent of rural schools In
a non-partfsan manner. The qualitica.
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 80 and $50
of our state constitution.
2. Liberal state aid to consolidated
schools located in rural districts.
8. The minimum term in any school
of the state should be eight months.
4. School boards should be empow.
cred to appoint truant officers who
should be given authority to compel
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 apportionmeat to be
made on the basis Of attendance of
pupils rather than On total number of
children of school age residing in dis
trict irrespective Of attendance.
6. The law providing for the trans
portation of pupils should be amended
SO a to make it more easily admins
tered. The law has beel' on our stat.
ute books for about eight years and
has been and is at present q great
source of trouble. The law should
provide that all pupils residing more
than two and 0ae-half miles from
school should receive transportation
for the distance in excess OF that dis
lance.
z. 1t should be the duty Of the coun-
ty board of health to inspect school
houses and outbuildings with power
to condemn the same. This board
should be given authority to compel
school boards to repair and, II nee
essary, to remodel school buildings.
8. Medical inspection OF pupils
should be provided for at the expense
of the district.
8. Persons desiring to teach in the
public schools should be required to
make special preparation for the
work. l recommend that a law be
enacted requiring all persons who re.
ceive certificates to teach in the state
after June 30th, 1915, to have complet.
ed at least aafour-year high school
course. The elementary graduates of