The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-08-12
GOOD AND BAD ROADS
-. AS THEY AFFECT EDUCATION
Bad Roads in North Carolina Are Forcing Tax in the
Lack of Educational Opportunities for Children
of the State
Of the State
JOSEl'H HYDE PRATT.
SAAGs 0eolDeask. Cha,ef Hill N q

Charles Summer once said, The
road and the sChoolmaSter are the
two most important agencies in tho
advancement Of civilization 1t is an
apt phrase. which couples roads and
the schoOlmaster. as the efficiency of
the latter may be greatly handicap
ped or circumSc<ibed by the condition
of the former. A states rating edu-
caiionaliy may be said to be directly
dependent upon the condition Of its
country roads. certainly 50 far as its
rural communities are concerned. In
five bad roads states the average
school attendance is 50 out Of each
hundred: and in flve good roads states
the attendance Is IS out OF each hun
dred In four bad roads states-Ar-
kansas. Missouri, Mississippi and
North Carolina. there are 100000
people cannot read and write. Up to
within .the last five years North Car
oiinA had made little progress In
road building. Since that time, how
ever, steps have been taken by nu-
snerous counties and townships for
building roads: and. while tho mile
age OF good roads in North CarO1i1aA
AT tho present time is not very large,
when compared with the total road
mileage Of the State. yet 1T is con-
stautiy advancing: and. keeping pace
with it, 10 an educational campaign
which bids fair to have fra-c}ass
school facilities offered to every child
within our borders
Out Goes the One room, SchOOl1louse.
In parts Of North Carolina. STINT
lariy as In other states. where good
roads have been built, the one-roofn
schoolhouse where one teacher vatnty
strove to solve the problem OF teach
ing pupils Of all ages Of advancement
has given place to larger school 0Ss-
tr:cts with one eisht-roOm school
house which takes the place OF SIX or
eight one-rCOm sChoOlh ouscA. and
enough teachers to give T. the eff
cheney OF graded - iool. 1t does not
cost as much TO bu.d one SchoOlhOuse
Of half dozen rooms as it does to build
six schOOlhOuses of One-rOOm each
Six teachers working together can dc
vastly better work for the children
than one teacher attempting to cover
the entire graded school curTiculn
with a heterogeneous mass of pupils
The direct effect Of good or bal
roads on the schools may be summar
hed as follows:
l. Good roads make il possible t
have larger schOOlhouses with con
solidated or graded schools. efticien
teachers. and weu-arrnnged courses o
study instead OF the old one-room lol
schoolhouse. and all that went with ii
Through the agency OF goO'
roads school attendance would in
crease from forty to sixty per cent
and tie district can we'll afford to EN-
pios bus or wagon to transfer tn
children TO and from school, thu
making it possible for them to atten'
during all weather without danger t
their health.
An enlargement of the schO<
district gives q larger amount G
money to spend, which, CT cours'
means that it can be spent TO bette
advaptage than when divided int
sma Hcr amounts over the same are;
Good Roads Make Good Schools
''hc National Educational Associs
ton made up Of eminent educator
thoroughly familiar with condition
existing all over the country. ha>
been studying this subject fer Ion
time, and they state that the sOiutlo
Of the educational problem OF tf
rural district is to be. found IL tf
ronsol;dated township school: wher
instead Of eight or ten isOla ted house
placed at intervals at the crossroaA
throughout tho township-ble2
dreary and un;nyiting-thcre wou
5e enc centrally located graded scho
~ the most convenient place, WI
provision made to take tho chAdre
I" aHd from school. To accompii:
ihis good roads are absolutely ne
essary. The school should be t'
Secia, as we'll as the educational ce
Tor "t the township. The library al
r"autne room, OF the school wall
sNcu at the rchoolhouse. and me
uS,rai Of lcatiHg around the stor
81 other places. will congrcsate I
Gethes to diScttss matters Pertains