The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-11-12
MONEY FOR RURAL SCHOOLS.

MONEY FUR RURAL SCHOOLS.
One farmer with a cheap automobile
has more money invested in that one
piece Of mechanism than the average
rural community az q whole has in its
school plant; and the owner of the
auto frequently spends as much ON the
upkeep OF his one car az the community
spends for the total maintenance Of the
school. including the teachers salary.
This Is one Of number of significant
comparisons brought out by the Hon
w. F. Feagin. state superintendent OF
education for Alabama. in a survey re-
ported to the United State bureau Of
education.
To illustrate further the plight of
the schools. Superintendent Feagin
shows dilapidated rural school in con-
trast with the handsomely constructed
Jail in the same county. costing several
thousand dollars. This JAIL" he says.
has sanitary drinking fountains,
shower baths. clean floors, plenty Of
light. good ventilation. and is other
wise attractive. Could a person from
the district in which this school is 10
Gated be blamed for preferring the
jaH?"
Naturally country --hools make little
appeal either to pupils or teachers. I'M
der existing conditions. Pupils drop out
and teachers move. Out Of 5.423 pupils
entering the first grade in the schools
inspected in the Alabama survey only
60 completed the work of the fourth
year Of the high school. OF the teach
ers. IS per cent are holding their pres
ent positions for the first time. OF the
remainder Is per cent are teaching their
second session in their first school, and
only 10 per cent have stayed more than
two years in the same place.
The Alabama survey was an attempt
to provide a definite background on
facts on which to base campaign for
improvement. The controlling purpose
Of the investigation was not to establish
an opinion or theory, but to find out
the truth. The survey was not made
by outside specialists imported for the
occasion. but by regular officials Of the
state education department. who select
ed three typical counties and person
ally visited the schools. The results
will be used for definite Improvement in
the schools Of the state.
THE conditions found are by no
means peculiar to Alabama" declares
DR.. Claxton, United States commission
er f education. "They can be dupli-
Gated anywhere. In Tennessee few
years ago. for instance, inquiry re-
vealed that in several counties the cost
OF the county Jail was greater than the
total cost Of all the school houses in
the county, and In more than half the
counties Of the state the cost of court
house and Jail together was greater
than that Of all the school houses,
while in a majority Of the counties the
average annual salary Of the teacher
was less than the cost of feeding a
prisoner in Jail.
1.-The Alabama survey is conspicuous
because it is carefully drawn picture
of the traditional public indifference to
the problem OF adequate support for
schools in rural communities. We still
spend much more for luxuries-even
harmful luxuries-than we do for edu-
cation. Until a community spends at
least as much for education as it does
for any one Of the material necessities
of life-food. clothing. and shelter-it is
not doing it's full duty