The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-05-21
IMPORTANCE OF COUNTRY SCHOOL.
Vermont Commission Considers Rural
Schools Of Vital Concern.

| oSHuOis VI Nitai NVhSVih.
The educational commission, who's,
purpose is to study and report npor
the whole system of schools in Vermont
| is seeking to ascertain, first what the
present condition of the schools is, and
secondly, what can be done to better
them.
The body Of educational experts work
ing under the commission are not work.
| ing as separate and detached individ.
uals, but in constant communication
with each other with frequent confer.
ences held at the rooms of the Carnegie
foundation in New York. During the
past week three days were spent
by this body of men in earnest dis
lcussion of the material which had been
gathered for this study. II has seldom
happened that the educational problems
OF any state have received the continue
Gus study OF body of men so familiar
with educational history and education
al work in the effor. to find solution
which should be adapted to the best
interests of the state and of its chill
dren.
In these conferences the body of ex-
perts engaged in the study have made
clear to the commission the overwhelm-
ing Importance in their judgment of the
problem of the rural school. The well
fare of the children in these schools is
without question the states greatest
educational problem.
This will be appreciated when it is
realized that OF nearly 400 of the
schools OF the state about so per cent.
in their number are one-room schools,
and the shifting OF population has caused
the abandonment of about 400 more
such schools. More than one third of
the towns and Independent school dis
tricts have only one-room schools. At
present, about one half of the children
of the state are being taught in these
schools. The consolidation of
a number of them occasions an expendi-
ture of about 100000 year at present
for transportation alone and the board
Of pupils and about $4,000 more for
their tuition. These figures alone make
evident how important are both the edu-
cational and financial aspects of this
matter Of the rural school.
The professional training for the
teachers and their shifting of position
from one school to another constitute
problems TO which special attention is
being given.
Furthermore, such study as is now
being made brings up clearly the neces-
.ity for some adjustment of the courses
If study in such schools which shall
make closer relation to the social and
life of the children. Even those
we'll informed in education have given
little attention to this
question and have left the rural school
curriculum to be settled in large meas
ire by the demands of the high school,
which in turn receives its largest inn
,ulse from the college. so that girls
md BOYS in remote country schools, 80
Yer cent of whom will never go to col
ege. have their studies determined for
hem in the main by the demands which |
re made upon the small minority of /
'oys and girls who are fitting them
elves for entrance to college. How |
many pupils in the rural schools, for ex
mple can tell the number of cords of |
pood in a load that happens to come
0 the school house How many of the |
iris can figure out the number OF yards |
t carpet required for the room az home. |
CURING out the fire place and figuring in |
he recesses and hooks! 1t seems quite |
lear that much can be done in improv-
~ the curriculum So as to obtain a
loser relation between the school task |
{ the child and the life which he leads
/ his home and in his community
An examination of the actual teaching
eing done in these schools, some OF
rhich are quite remote from villages, /
hows that the excellence of the teach
" is by no means dependent on the
re of the school. Throughout Yer
iont are many conscientious, we'll
aimed teachers, and some who have not
,ceived extensive training, but who
trough natural ability as teachers are
wing in these small school houses the
,undations Of an excellent education
n education that will fit the boy and
rl alike for life, whether they go to
'llege or whether they go into voca
on.
From whatever point of view one
oks at the question, he is impressed :,
' the fact that the great and over !
helming problem of this state is the I
'oblem OF the right conduct of these :
ementarv rural schools. If to them
n be brought intelligent and sym !
lthetic oversight and support which :
creases to some extent the teachers =.
ward, education in Vermont will be
lped in this most important and vi !
! part. Z