The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1913-10-30
Some Needed Rural-Sch00l Legislation

So many things are so greatly need
ed, ii is difficult to select the most
important and | may not know when
TO stop but will venture to suggest
the following
No person should be eligible to
the office of Superintendent of schools
of any town or plantation, however
small. who Is not entitled to, and can
not secure a permanent Elementary
State Teachers Certificate. To require
professional teachers and tolerate ig-
norant superintendents, would seem
sublimely preposterous were we un-
accustomed to the thought. The dis
graceful conditions to be found in so
many towns under local supervision
make the need of such a law so OBJ
vious that further discussion in this
paper is unnecessary. Certain 1t Is
that such an enactment would imme-
diately lead to the formation of many
new superintendenee unions. with all
the benefits usually following such
action.
2-The abolition of all rural schools
having an attendance of less than fif-
teen during one term, when this will
not require the conveyance of very
young or feeble pupils more than three
miles, with no exceptions to this rule
but by vote of the town upon the
WRITTEN recommendation of the
school board. and this action with
full statement of the attendant condi-
tons to be submitted to the State SUI
perintendent of Public Instruction,
for his approval, and to be invalid
without his approval.
"a minium salary for teachers
holding Permanent Elementary State
Certificates. This wage should be
high enough to attract this class of
tea cheers and to enable them to demand
and PAY FOR such conveniences of
room etc. as shall remove one seri-
Gus objection to rural teaching When
the farmers wife can receive desi-
rable remuneration for a good room,
extra fuel. etc. she will seek to pro-
vide and offer it. This law should al
so provide for NAHUM salary for
persons teaching under special per-
mits" or probationary State certifica-
tes When a young girl. during her
first year. after graduating from a sec
ondary school with no professional
training whatever demands and re-
ceives eleven dollars per week for
teaching a small rural school. she re-
ceives more than her services are
worth. Many such are now oyerpaid.
The minimum wage of the professional
teacher in rural schools should be rea-
sonably high and the NAHUM wage of
of the NON-professonal teacher
should be low.
Towns should be obliged to pro-
vide agricultural mechanical and
domestic instruction and practice. for
all pupils in the rural schools, above
the fifth grades, and the state should
furnish liberal special aid for this pur-
nose. so that the rural child shall be
influenced 10 seek agricultural mech
anical and domestic callings, instead
of professional life This will also
compel the employing of specially
trained teachers whose intelligence
fits them to be leaders in the dssem-
ination and application of intelligent
ideas and tho raising of social stand
ards in rural life.
5=The towns should be required to
nrovide ianitors for ALL rural schools.
If suitable ones can be secured. to be
paid from the appropriation for re-
pairs of school houses. or from a spec
ial appropriation for that purpose.
and not from the general school fund
as now. A tidy tastefully dressed,
sef-respecting young lady should not
be required to sweep her school room
with all the i'll effects of dust. etc.
Neither should she be required to shiy-
or in a cold school room while wait
ing for the heat from a fire of her own
building and she certainly should not
paw for this service from her own
earnings.
e--The abolition. with a reasona-
BILE time limit for its eonsumation,
of all low. small. ill-lighted. badly
ventilated. and inconvenient one-room
school houses with their indecent
out-buildings and lack of play
grounds. and the compulsory erection
of standard school buildings, suitable
for all practicable consultations of
schools, with annie grounds OUT
SIDE of the highway; well-located.
decent and sanitary toilet rooms; and
rooms for Libraries. apparatus. and
for industrial instruction and prac-
ticn These school houses should be
built for two or more schools. to per-
nit the proper and necessary grading
of the work.
Con Soltdat io'' y =" 40 sSing OF pupils
in the village schools should not be
regarded as synonymous terms It is
POSSIBLE that it may be necessary, to
divide the State into districts with a
commission of three members in each
with advisory (perhaps in some cases
mandatory powers regarding the To-
cation of these central school build
ings There should also be minimum
requirement regarding the supply of
globes. maps and other apparatus for
these schools.
Two pernicious practices are
rapidly spreading in the smaller towns
and especially in those near the great
forests. horde of lazy. irresponsi-
BILE, often Incorporate men with fam
lilies, are seeking temporary homes in
camps and abandoned farmhouses
usually at a great distance from es-
tablished schools. To convey or board
the children of such families often
places upon the poorer towns heavy
burdens besides depriving the other
children of those towns of needed
schooling These people never devel-
op any interest nor feel any pride in
the schools, and bring no good of any
kind to the neighborhoods they in
fest. Such parents should be Obliged
to get their children TO school without
cost to the town, or the cost should be
paid from the pauper instead OF the