The bee. (Earlington, Ky.) 1889-19??, 1914-06-12
The PUBLIC SCHOOLS
AND The COUNTRY PRESS
HON. PAUL NJ DARLINGTON, DISCUSSES TIMELY SUBJ
JBcT BEFORE KENTUCKY PRESS ASSOCIATION DAw-
SON SPRINGS TUESDAY MORNING


the year. ended June 30th, 1911.
Our percentages Of illiterates (ten
years old and over) was 12.1 IN
1910. Here let me make note OF
something local. In my home
town, in the Darlington Graded
School district, there are this year
$50 white pupil children. The CEN
sus is taken by ono of our teachers,
who knows well the people OF the
district. She found that there is not
4 single illiterate in the total Earl
ington school census. 1t is inter-
esting to note in this connection
that Darlington, not by taxation but
through liberal private aid, has had
free public schools nine months in
the year for more than thirty years,
and a well organized graded and
high school for number OF years.
Again. in Hopkino county there are
four County High schools, all To-
Gated in good towns but SO distrib-
uted geographically as to be Access
sible to all the children Of the. coun-
ty. Here, as everywhere, the rural
children ought to be given school
houses and equipment, competent
teachers, length OF term, and other
advantages fully equal to those
offered the children In our towns.
We can scarcely hope to see rural
conditions and people what they
ought to be until this improvement
in rural schools is brought to pass.
The consolidated school is the se-
luton of the rural schooi problem.
Tie Country Press can bring 1t 20
pess in time, but 1t will be some
thing of an undertaking and the
change will como slowly and in
spots. The grudging, close-fisted.
land owners, arr othors of the same
mental bent. some OF whom would
rather pay dog tax than school
poll tax, must in major part be con-
yerted into the cheerful taxpayer
and enthusiastic school booster, be-
fore the proposed Plan will be a
shining and universal success. In
Hopkins County, where, as have
said, there is complete provision for
the county high school students, the
rural schools, in large majority are
taught in one room buildings. with
poor heat and ventilation, and by
one teacher, the term being of
course but six months for which the
state per capita pays. There is no
local, supplementary tax paid to re-
lieve these conditions.
AS said in an address before this
association in December. 1911; sour
rural schools must have consolida-
ton and concentration, real build
ings worthy of being the community
centers, and corps of real teachers,
with transportation provided for
children to and from school. This
cannot be done without increased
local taxation. The other alternative
is to revert to the old plan of small
papuper districts. with few pupils, a
low grade teacher and the kind of
out-of-date building and outfit of
past generations. Until the CONSOLE
dation plan prevails. with funds for
buildings, maintenance and trans
portation, County Boards of Educa-
ton will have to do the best they
can in sparsely settled districts
and very poor best 1t will be.
There is no middle ground. In 1911
we divided a district in Hopkins
county containing forty-two square
miles, seven miles one way and six
the other. in which there we're chill
dren as old as eleven years, who had
never seen inside of @ school house.
because the district school was
seven miles from them as the crow
hies, on the further edge OF the dis
trict, and water interviewed There
are distressing evils and inequali-
ties in our common school system
which can be speedily cured If We
can persuade our people to tax
themselves literally for the estab-
lishment of consolidated rural
schools.
want you to look with me upon
the picture of Immense Necessity"
thrown today upon the nations NOV
ing picture canvas by our poor
farms and poorer farm methds. our
vninviting. unhealthy and unprofit-
able one-room rural school houses.
our deserted rural churches. the
dead or dying social life of our ru-
raj districts In many places. and the
continual desertion OF the country