The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-01-09

The findings of the committee of
fifteen, appointed by State supt. G. z.
Cary soon after the close of the last
legislature to investigate conditions in
the schools of Wisconsin, were made
public today. The chief recommends
lions provide for:
Consolidation of country schools
A county board of education.
More rigid qualification of teachers
and additional training schools to
make this possible.
Modification Of normal school courses
Of study to meet the needs of those
students preparing to become princi-
pals Of state graded schools.
Amendment of certifcation law.
Encouraging use of the schoolhouse
ls social center.
More state aid for elementary
schools.
The committee, which numbers
county superintendent, past and pres
emit; normal school authorities, several
agricultural experts and educational
leaders, consists of the following: Rose
Cheney, Manitowoc; A. Fl. Christman,
Menomonee Falls; George E Comings,
Eau Claire; II. A. Cotton, Lacrosse;
John S. Donald, Mount Horeb; Leo p.
Fox, Chiffon; Charles l.. Hill, Rosen-
dale; F. S. Hyer, Stevens Point; M.
III. jackson, Grand Rapids; w. E. Lar
son, Madison; A. II. Long, Prairie du
Chen; Ellen B. Mcdonald, Oconto;
M. v. O'Shea, Madison; G. E. Pat
Ter, Milwaukee, and George E. Scott,
Prairie Farm.
State supt. Cary was not member
nor did he write any part of the re-
port. In an introduction, however, he
reviews the school situation in the
state, finding cause for optimism as a
result of increase of prosperity for the
rural districts. On this topic he says
"Great changes for the better have
taken place in country education in
the past ten years. Hundreds of dis
tricts-nearly five out of e,ery six the
state over, as matter Of fact-have
provided ventilation by means of ven
tilating stoves. They have put the
outbuildings into decent shape; they
have added supplementary readers,
maps, blackboards; they have increas-
ed the number of books in their IL
braries by two hundred per cent, and
have furnished cases and card cata-
logues for them; they have increased
the expenditure Of money per child
enrolled by one hundred per cent !;
they have increased the school year
from seven months to eight; they have
increased the annual compulsory period
for each child by one hundred per
cent; they have added agriculture to
the school course as prescribed by law;
they have increased the number of
county training schools from three to
twenty-seven, and increased the course
Of training one hundred per cent in
point of time. High schools have
awakened and are vieing with the
county training schools, as are also
the state normals, in the training of
country teachers. -
In approaching the problem, the
committee faced many criticisms of
the schools by The people, among
which these are enumerated: Too
many weak, inefficient and unframed
teachers; Ia many cases ignorance,
lack of interest, and lack of CO.
operation on the part of parents; neg
Get of duties by some school officers;
much irregular attendance; lack of
proper supervision; many schools too
small; lack of thorough work in the
fundamentals, schools trying to cover
too much ground; children do not stay
in school long enough.
Among the suggestions most fire.
quently given were the following:
Train the teachers for the work in
country schools; pay the good, efficient
teachers higher wages, enforce the com
pulsory attendance law; stir up inter-
est in educational matters by means of
parents meetings, debating societies,
farmers clubs, school entertainment,
ETC., making the school social and
civic center, secure better supervision;
do more thorough work in the funda-
mentals, make the schools practical;
consolidate the schools where they are
small, and where it is feasible.
Among the helpful forces mentioned
were: The school board conventions,
special state aid for country schools,
the compulsory attendance law, the
county training schools for country
teachers, public meetings of various
kinds, farmers clubs, strong work of
the county superintendent in organic
ing educational forces and stirring up
interest in educational matters, teach
ers Institutes.
After discussing the more pressing