The Harlowton news., 1913-10-31
TO School Boards, Patrons and
Teachers of Meaghers County:

The state superlItende pub
lie instruction has commenced an
active campaign for the betterment
Of rural schools This department
il working on the principle that
the country boy and girl lares enti
tied to as good advantages for an
education as their city cousins;
that the alyancemento Of any coun-
try or section Of country is just in
proportion to the degree of the eff
fciency Of the education of the
citizens Of that country; that the
education Of the young manhood
and Womanhood is the guiding
force in the next generation; that
more than half the pupils enrolled
in the state are enrolled
in the rural schools, and that more
than half Of the future citizens Of
Montana are receiving far poorer
advantages than the rest; that the
highest velopment Of the state
depends upon the improved condi-
tions of rural life.
The people must realize that the
problem is their own and that sen:
tilnent in favor Of a thing must
preeede the thing itself.
The greatest issue before the
American people today is not the
Mexican Situation nor the Japanese
question, but the elimination Of the
inefficient rural school. Upon the
solution Of this question depends
the future welfare of the country
people which includes the welfare
Of all the people.
*ss Statistics show that 62.3 per
cent ofall the children enrolled in
the schools Of the United States
are enrolled in the rural schools.
They also show thatonly about 4
per cent of the rural teachers have
had special ltrai nilgs for btllei1 york.
These unframed teachers are plac-
cd in poorly equipped schools with
practically no supervision. Most
Of these schools are built without
any special reference to proper
heating, lighting on ventilation.
The dominant American ideal
has always been equality Of oppor-
tanity. The people are beginning
to awaken to some of the points in
which our school systems fail to do
their share toward equalizing OPP
portunity. They have begun to
realize that we connot equalize OPP
portunity by providing the same
stereotyped form Of education for
each individual, for individuals
differ in their capacities; hence the
Introduction Of manual training,
domestic science, agricultural and
commercial courses in our city
schools. They have begun to real
ize that we cannot equalize oppor-
tunity by placing less than four
tenthss of5our future citizens under
trained teachers in we'll equipped
schools and more than six.tenths
in poorly equipped rural schools
Statistics show that in North
Dakota 80 per cent Of the girls and
30 per cent of the boys who enter
thedelementar schools in town fin
ished the eighth grade; in the coun
try, only II percent Of the girls
finished and S per cent of the boys,
Montana is not much in the leac
of North Dakota. Many of oul
boys and girls drop out after the
sixth grade, often because ths
teacher isn't strong enough tt
make the work worth while
them or has so many classes tha
she cannot give them he nccessar,
time.
Montana has 1878 school dis
tricts. In about a fifth of Their
school is held less than 6monihs;i il
many Of them foul. months. 4
many Of tin. districts, the trustee.
are doing their best TO support
good school butlhere is not enoug
taxable property 0 raise the fund
F .