Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-01-31
CITY CONVENIENCES IN
A COUNTRY SCHOOL

How a small one-teacher school in
The country may have all the convent
cnces popularity supposed to be the eX-
elusive privilege of the city, is demon
strated in the model rural school at
Kirksyille, Mo-, according to II. w.
Foght, specialist in rural education
for the United States Bureau of Edu.
cation. Indoor toilets and shower
baths, drinking fountains, and a mod
crn heating plant, are shown to be
possible in the country school, howev-
er remote from the city, Furthermore,
the cost is said to be within the means
Of a comparatively small community.
The Klrksyille school is conspicuous
for its utilization of every available
inch Of space. 1t is only ono-story
building, slightly wider than the typ
ical Missouri country school, but the
attic and basement are both put to
valuable use. The attic is employed
for manual training and domestic sci
ence, and there is an excellent herb
arium. The basement contains the
heating plant, combination of hot
water and hot air, described as very
economical in use; the fuel room;
bulb room for TIE outdoor garden, and
a dark room for developing photo
graphs.
The machinery of the school plant
consists of an ordinary pneumatic
pressure tank, operated by gasoline
engine. A septic tank sewer system
is maintained at small expense.
The main floor Of the building be-
sides containing the class room proper
has a small community library, sep
arate from the school library, empha-
sizing the purpose Of the rural school
as community center. The class
room Itself occupies most of the floor.
The desks and seats in it are both ad-
Unstable and movable, with individual
platforms; and when all are removed
to one side as many as 200 people |
can bo accommodated, thus making It
possible o uHA the room for COM
munty gatherings. The stcrcopticon
in the wall OF the class room empha- |
sizes still further the fact that this
school is built for general community !
use as well as for ordinary school
purposes,
Every effort has been made to have
the model rural school at Klrksyllle |
approximate actual rural conditions.
Although located on the campus at the
Kirksyille Normal school, II is detach-
ed from the other buildings. The pu-
pills are real rural material. Every
transportation wagon
brings in "a country children from a
distance Of i've miles, No town chill
dren are allowed to attend because It
Is distinctly n rural school. An expert
rural teacher Is in charge and the
school she conducts is an observation
school Candidates for rural school
certificates attend It at least once
lay and observe her work, and after
.wo years Of training in the normal
school they receive practice work in
he school
Teachers who have gone out from
experience in this model rural school
IRE 500 por cent better teachers" says
Mr. Foght but The best indication
If the value Of such school Is the
way It's leading features have been
'opIod, In the country about Kirks-
lilo many similar schools have been
,ullt They do not always copy all the
letails, but the attic arrangement and
he sanitary equipment are generally
duplicated, Buildings modelled on the
school have been erected in
and Nebraska"