Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1913-03-29
STARVING THE RURAL SCHOOLS.


II HAT the high rate Of illeracy in the United
Il States is due chiefly to the lack OF educational
opportunities in the rural districts and not to inn
migration is asserted by A. c. Monahan, an educa-
tonal expert for the United States Bureau Of Edu-
cation Such statement. coming from such source
should arouse interest in all the States and in none
more acutely than in the State OF Delaware,
where it has been recognized for years that apart
from few exceptions, rural schools are not what
they should he iu buildings, equipment or financial
support
Mr. Monahan calls attention to the fact that tie
rate of illiteracy the urban rate despite
the fact that approximately three-fourhs Of the imm-
grants are in the cities. Still significant is
comparison between children born in this country OF
foreign parents with those born OF native parents.
"The iteracy among natiye-born children Of ma
tive parentage is more than three times great as
native children OF foreign parentage says Mr.
Monahan, largely on account OF the lack OPP
portunities for education in rural America"
The bulletin is OF special value at this time be-
Il Is brief clear conversational statement of
the rural school problem It does attempt to
gloss unpleasant facts II gives full recogni-
ton to the positive advance that has been made In
many rural districts and to improvements now under
way but in general finds conditions far from salts
factory
Among other things, Mr.. Monahan finds 10000
one-teaoher schoohorses in the United States of
which 5000 log buildings still in active use.
Although more than 60 per cent of the children in
tho United States enrolled in country schools
the rural aggregate attendance is only 81 per cent
The school buildings and grounds in country
districts are in condition that is only approached
by "homes OF the most shiftless residents the
trict" and the teaching in these one-teachcr
schools is Of very low grade
The bulletin is illustrated with photographs OF good
and bad rural schools from the log schoolhouse to
the consolidated school, right and wrong heating in
a country school; canning factory and school gar
den connected with Louisiana school; and map
showing the system of local school supervision as
prevails in the several States The purpose OF the
map is to show how real the need for the kind or
businesske supervision of the country schools that
has led to such efficient results IN the city.
With the help of recent appropriations made by
Congress the Bureau Of Education has undertaken to
make careful study Of the needs OF the rural
schools, and the bulletin just issued is OF the
first definite results Of the work
ut is in no either complete exhaustive says
Commissioner Claxton but IL is the best possible
under the circumstances and with the facilities now
at disposal Incomplete as it is this bulletin
makes very valuable contribution to a clear UNI
derstandng Of the rural schools they actually
are"
Apart from the Bodybuilding feature the conditions
complained Of in the bulletin obtain in many rural
districts in Delaware, and likely to obtain there
for years to come unless the leading men and
women in State who believe in liberal education
inaugurate comprehensive campaign and carry into
the districts the fight for twentieth century condi-
lions Men like Professor A. r. Spaid county super
ntendent for this county Prof James C. Carroll,
county superintendent for Kent and Prof r. J.
Hardesty, county superintendent for Sussex, may
work their heads Off in the effort make educational
conditions in the rural districts what they ought TO
be. Unless. however they be backed by strong pub
lie sentiment and alert citizenship. OF their
work is nullifed by tightwad taxpayers in the rural
districts, who rather would build and maintain a
suitable barn for the comfort and we-beng OF their
horses and COWS, than build suitable schoolhouse
for the comfort and well-being Of their children
The first important step looking to an improvement
Of educational conditions in the rural districts should
be to convince those tght-wad parents their respon-
siblites and TO impress them with the that il
their boys and girls to receive proper mental
moral and physical training, the purse-strings must
be loosed and adequate funds supplied educational
work The trouble now is that rural school sys-
tenn poor in itself because Of the lack Of consolidated
work, is being starved knowingly and wilfully by
thousands Of parents who fail to consider properly
the great wrong their parsmony is doing to the
younger generation and to posterity