The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-17
FARMERS ARE ALL
FROM MISSOURI
MUST FIRST SHOW HIM BEST IN
SCHOOLS AND THEN HE WILL
DEMAND THEM.
REDUCE ILLITERACY
ONE KENTUCKY COUNTY rs
DOING 1T WITH "MooNLIGHT
SESSIONS" FOR THE OLD
PEOPLE.

Interesting discussion of the needs
of rural schools was had yesterday
afternoon at the interstate meeting
of county superintendent in the
Mechanics institute. The problem of
how to improve the country schools
is one of the important matters be-
fore the convention, and the various
suggestions heard were listened TO
earnestly and taken home as food
for thought.
Superintendent n. C. Hammack. OF
Union county, Ky, and T. J. Coates,
supervisor of rural elementary schools
in Kentucky, gave the Kentucky plan
Of making certain schools scattered
through the counties demonstration
Centers for all work along the lines
OF school extension. II was enpha-
sized that the farmer must be shown
before he will believe in and pay for
better schools Once show him. and
he Will demand and pay for better
schools
Agriculture, domestic science. cook
ing and sewing are features in the
demonstration schools.
One Room Schools.
on the question Of what to do with
the one-teacher rural school the man
uscript OF Superintendent G. G,
Joynes. of Accomac county, read by
superintendent Williams, of Shenan-
doah county. showed that 81 per cent
of the children in America are in
one-room schools and urged that the
best possible teacher and the best SUI
pervision and attention be given TO
these questions.
r
OF Loudoun county, discussed the
question. why does the one-teacher
school give the most trouble? He
was of the opinion that poor teach
ers and lack of sym pathetic interest
on the part of the patrons constitute
the cause.
What one teacher can do was ably
told by Mrs Hetty s. Brown. Of South
Carolina. Mrs. Brown is the teacher
of the special one-room country
school owned and operated by the
Winthrop Normal college Of Rock
hill. s G.
d. O. Hull OF Columbus. Miss, in
terestingiy narrated his experience for
twenty years OF teaching the Same
country school in Mississippi, and A.
r. Jones discussed rural school con-
ditions in Alabama.
The feature OF the entire program
was the Characterization Of rural
community life in Arkansas. thirty
Eve miles from 81 railroad by w F.
Halbrook. of Choctaw. Ark. Mr..
Halbrook in a most humorous vein
presented the social difficulties Of his
community. and proceeded TO show
how the school with its various cor
related organizations. was the only
hope for community advancement.
moonlight schools i'm Kentucky.
The most encouraging address of
the program was by Mrs. Cora VIII
son Stewart, Of Kentucky She told
of the work Of the rural schools in
reducing illtteracy by means OF the
moonlight" schools for adult init
crates. She said that the number ~
iliterates in her county had been re
duced by two-thrds in two years
Among others of her pupils who were
we'll advanced in years was a fifty
year-old preacher, who In these
moonlight" schools first learned to
read and write his name one man
eighty-seEen years old came for In
struction She said that It had been
demonstrated that an adult could he
taught 10 write his name in two even
ings, and to write 81 legibie letter in
two weeks.
Mrs Stewart urged that night
schools be established everywhere for
the purpose Of reducing illteracv
throughout the South
Effective means for developing the
rural school was interestingly dis
cussed in the morning session. A. G
Monahan. OF the National Bureau of
Education. showed the need OF A
county plan. The efficacy OF super
vision and administrative supervision
were also discussed. and Miss Leila
a. Russell. of South Carolina. and
Miss Rhea c. Scott. of Virginia, re-
cited their experiences The efficacy
Of consolidation came in for n good
ly share of talk and discussion. the
advantages accruing from conscNda-
ton being ably shown.