The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-09-18
EDUCATION FOR
RURAL PUPILS
Made Possible Under OhlO'S
New School Code.
LESS COST TO THE SCHOLAR

All the Boys and Girls a Chance.
Local school officials in every sub
division of the state are beginning TO
realize what the new school code
means to the pupils Of Ohio. De.
signed to give the boy and the girl in
the country the same advantages as
the boy and the girl in the city, 1t is
working out beautifully. Not only
does 1t eliminate the old injustice
possible under the Boxwell and Pat
terson laws, but 1t shows an actual
saying in cost per pupil Of the state,
One of the clearest explanations Of
the work of the law was printed re-
Gently in the Caldwell Press What
applies in Noble is true in every coun-
ty Of the state. The press says:
Better Educational Advantages.
"statlsticians tell US that out Of every
hundred pupils that enter our schools.
the country over, but seven Of them ever
get into the high school. And further
that of this seven but three ever get to
| college. Astounding statement But a
fact. II then follows that whatever ed
ucation we are going to give the great
masses Of our peopie-the 93 per cent Of
our rising generation-must be given
them In some manner other than our
present school system. II the pupils can
not get to the high school. then we must
take the high school to the pupils. That's
exactly what the new school law is de-
signed TO do. The education one gets in
the elementary grades ~ not sufficient
to equip Americans for the battle OF life
in this strenuous age. 1t therefore be-
comes imperative that we get better ed
ucational advantages to the pupil instead
OF trying to get the pupil to the better
educational advantages. Can 1t be done?
Yes, there is no doubt Vi tnat. VIII Il
cost more? No. II will cost less. The
proof Of that lies in the fact that towns
and cities give their children the advan-
tage OF a first grade high school educa-
tion at less cost per scholar than 1t costs
in the country schools.
"There IS no room for difference Of
opinion on this question. 1t can be, and
has beer figured out to a mathematical
certainty If it can be done in towns and
cities IT can be done IN the country just
as well.
How viii 1t work out in Noble? Just
exactly the way the people of Noble want
1t to work out. Get that. Cost Of super
intendents figured in, too? Yes. Here's
IOWs our county superintendent gets ST.
800. The four district superintendents
get $1,000. 81, 200 $1,000. 81 200, or $i.7OO.
Add Sl,S00 and we have $6,500, of which
the state pays half, leaving $3.50 to pay
for experimenting Divide that by fif-
teen townships and the share Of this ex-
pense to each would be about $216.66.
For every school district abandoned,
on account Of too small an average daily
attendance, or from any other cause, aft
dren residing too far away and paying
the townships share of supervision eN-
penses, you can figure a net saving, per
school abandoned. Of about $3.50 So that
the new school law Is not only going to
take a first grade school to the pupil but
is going to do II for less money than tbs
present school costs Do a little figuring
on this data.
"Wayne township has abandoned three
districts and so arranged 1t that not a
child has to be transported to school.
Seneca has abandoned two Buffalo one,
Jefferson one, Beaver one, up to date II
is safe to say that they will average one
school abandoned to each township, at a
net gain I'm cost OF at least $3.50 per
school, or $3.50 net saving, after paying
for superintendents
1.-The office of clerk of the county board
Of examiners is done away with and the
county superintendent does that work at
q further saving Of $3.50
THE county superintendent and dis
trict superintendents are required to
teach in the summer training schools for
teachers free, and teachers can attend
that school tuition free.
$50 the new school law stands to save
Noble county at least $4,000 and give us
immeasurably better schools"
Consolidated Schools.
A pertinent editorial on the sub
ject of "The Rural School" appeared
recently in the Saturday Evening
Post. This editorial said:
"Among many reasons for leaving the
farm education is by no means the least
There may be a romantic suggestion in
tine little red or white schoohouse beside
the country road. Formerly we used to
boast of those little schoolhouses, and
consider that community in which they
were most numerous as the most adj
vanced educatonally. But to those who
know the little country schoolhouse now
adays Is a sign that the community is
backward These little ungraded country
schools are on the whole our most ineffi-
cient institutions for teaching. Progress
is in the direction of the consolidated
school-which means a school building as
well equipped and as well manned as
Lfldt TO De IOunu' IN town, with convey /
ances to fetch the children thither in the
morning and carry them home again In
the afternoon. There are over two thou
sand Of these consolidated rural schools
in the United States, and the number
grows In any well settled state they
are matter merely Of some gumptioa
and passable roads. The whole idea Is
that in rural district, say six miles
square, one efficient school is much bett 5.
than six inefficient ones. Experience
shows that the cost is usually not mu
greater and often less.
Schooling for his children that is
least up to the town standard is so
thing every farmer might reasonably u
mand and something he can have
every well settled region If he viii ar
insist upon it. Inertia and stinginess
the only excuses for the little ungraGa
country school,"
1t will be noted that an authori
so eminent as the editor of the Sa |
urday Evening Post puts good scho0
and good roads in the same list. Tha
Is Just what has been done in Ohio. |
and Just what will be maintained un
der the present order A slap at the
state highway department is also a
slap at good schools. Neither the |
schools nor roads should be allowed |
- ~ g.