Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1914-01-30
First Report Of Elementary School
Inspection in North Dakota

rural schools.
4 Country Boys
Twelve pages are devoted to tho
subject Of country boys in relation
to poor attendance. It is shown that
in the schools inspected 1,426 coun-
try boys were kept out of school in
violation of law for varying periods
of time, some Of which were yer
thre months; but for all rural schools
in AZ counties reporting, 16,352 coun-
try boys between the ages Of 8 and
IA inclusive were kept out Of school
sixty days or more iY violation of
law. One table diagram shows only
seven per cent of the country boys
completed the eighth grade and only
one half Of one per cent completed
the high school. These conditions
are analysed in the report and are
characterized as appalling" and
"brutal''. The specific remedy sug-
gested is the enlightening and ar.
ousing of the public conscience to the
enforcement of the compulsory attend
ance law.
5 Rural. School Avoidance.
The topis is introduced in the re.
port with the statement, "the great
| est defect in the rural schaool has
been and is now the poor attend
ance." The average term for the
rural schools inspected is s.8 months
and the per cent Of attendance 50;
but the average term for all rural
schools is only seven months with
60 per cent attendance.
6 Consolidated Rural Schools.
The most important part Of the
report is undoubtedly that devoted to
the consolidation of rural schools,
A complete list is given of c%onsoli.
dated schools in the state that were in
existence last August. One table
gives rs open country consolidated
schools a second table Is consoli-
dated town schools AID the third
table gives the total number of con
solidated schools by counties as 100.
This last table shows that Towner
county is first with Is, Cavalier End
with IL, Rolette 3rd with II, Ram,
sey 4th with 10, Cass and McHenry
5th with 9 each, and Nelson and
Hettinger 9th with 8 each. All but
seven counties have one or more con
~solidated schools. There is an in
crease of 4S consolidated schools il
one. year which is greater than the
total for five years preceding. The
subject is discussed under eight
heads, the principal one of which i:
"Benefts of Consolidation" Con
solidation is commended and urged il
no uncertain terms by the inspector
z Rural School, Sanitation
The Introductory statements to thi:
topic are, ".Health is the most price
less possession Of Childhood ant
yet in many rural schools, the health
of children is seriously impaired. I
is discussed under thu following
heads: Lighting, heating, ventilat
ing, d'osets or o%uthouses, water, gen
eral sanitary provisions. A plea il
made for medical inspection in con
~nection with better sanitary provis
ions for the safeguarding Of health.
classified Elementary Schools.
The appendix table gives the nun
Der of classified elementary schools
by kind and counties at classified
last August. The total number on the
classified list is 1924 of which number
24O are rural, So graded and 81 con
solidated. It may be noted here thai
in addition there are 80 consolidated
schools on the state high school list
ALI but six counties are represented
in the classified elementary school list
For the proceeding year the number
Of classified schools was ITO, which
means an increase of l54 in one year
Recommendations.
The written portion of the report
closes with recommendations which
have particular reference to a more
efficient operation of the rural schoo
state sid law. These in substance are
as follows: ~ A minimum term Of
nine months, and the daily attendance
of all pupils between the ages Of
and IS inclusive unless legally ex
cused; (2) A minimum wage of SIC
per month for all rural teachers in
connection with a law requiring thai
all must have completed at least q
four-year normal school course or al
equivalent; (3) Compulsory medica
inspection and the use of inside clos
cts; az State aid in the amount OF