Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1913-09-20
CIRCULAR FROM
SUPT. WRIGHT
School Boards of Rural Districts.
Receive Statement in Regard
to School Buildings.

struction L. L. Wright has issued cir
cular to the school boards of rural dis
tricts of the requirements necessary in
the schools over which they may have
jurisdiction, The statement gives in
detail the conditions under which the
STANDARD" school must be maintained.
The circular contains the following
statements
The State of Michigan has compul-
sorry attendance law which requires ev-
cry child between the ages of seven
and sixteen to attend school every day
during the time that school is taught in
the district. The state, however, has
no control over a district in the matter
of school plants. Most of the country
school buildings are very faulty in mat
ters of heat, light, ventilation and sani-
tation. II would seem ouly fair that
ipasmuch as the state compels every
child TO 60 to school that he should
have reasonably decent quarters. The
purpose of this note is TO tell of plan
10 CREATE StanuaTu SCHOOL.
If every school board in Michigan
will so arrange its plans that they will
conform to the specifications hereinaf-
ter described the Superintendent of
Public Instruction will designate the
school as standard school. He will,
with the county commissioner, inspect
the plant and if the plant fulfills our re-
quirements he will put on the front of
the building metal tablet that can be
seen by all who pass. This tablet will
bear the words, STANDARD SCHOOL
He will also give to the school framed
diploma to be hung inside the building
which state that this particular school
has been awarded the distinguished
honor of being put in the standard
school class, this distinction to be taken
away if the school falls below the re-
quirements, The requirements for the
standard school are as follows
Yard and Outbuildings-Ample
grounds of at least one acre, some trees
and shrubs tastefully arranged, good
approaches to the house. two well kept
widely separated outhouses, suitable
room or place for fuel.
The schoolhouse-House well BUILT,
in good repair and painted, good foun-
dation, well lighted with some atten-
tion to proper lighting, attractive inter-
ior decorations, good blackboards, some
suitable for small children, heated with
room heater and veptilator in one
corner, or basement furnace which
brings clean air in through the furnace
and removes foul air from room, hard
wood floor and interior clean and tidy.
Furnishings and Supplies-Desks
suitable for children of all ages, proper
ly placed, good teachers desk, good
bookcases, good collection of juvenile
books suitable as aids to school work as
well as for general reading, set of good
maps, a globe. dictionary, sanitary
drinking facilities.
The Organization--School well organ
ized especially as to grades, classifica-
tion and daily register well kept, def
mite program of recitation and study,
attendance regular, at least eight
months Of school, discipline good.
The Teacher-Education: The equi-
yalent of a county normal course or of
a four year high school course, must
receive at least $500 per annum, ranked
by the county commissioner as good
or superior teacher, must attend insti-
flutes and teachers meetings.
These requirements are by no means
severe and most Of them are yitally
necessary as far as the health and ef-
ficiency of the children are concerned,
A child spends from four to six hours
each school day inside the schoolroom,
more waking hours than he spends in
any one room in his home. Unless the
room is thoroughly warmed, unless it
is supplied constantly with fresh, pure
air, unless it is well lighted, unless
comfortable seats and desks of the
proper size for the individual are pro-
yided, unless the pupils can drink with
out contamination, the health of the
children in that school is being men,
aced. A good teacher is vital but she
must have proper equipment in order
to do effective work and well selec-
ted school library is one of the most
important essentials.
The department of public instruction
has prepared manual for schoolhopse
construction aud Improvement which
will be distributed to the various
school boards. II contains the standard
school plan in detail and suggests the
best ways for bettering the health and
sanitary conditions in school districts.
This circular is sent out for the'purpose
Of encouraging school boards to make
Improvements