The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1914-09-18
Education For
Rural Pupils

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 it eliminate the old injustice
possible under the Boxwell and Pat
terson laws, but it shows an actual
eaving 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.
"Statisticians tell us that out Of every
hundred pupils that enter our schools
the country over, but seven CT them ever
get into the high school. And further,
that of this seven but three ever get to
college, Astounding statement! But q
ucation we are going to give the great
masses of our peopie-the 90 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
S2actlyl what the new school law is de-
signed To do. The education one gets In
the elementary grades Is not sufficient
to equip Americans for the battle Of life
1 In this strenuous age. 1t therefore be-
comes imperative that we get better ed
0cational 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 mat. Will 1t
| cost more? No. 1t will cost less. The
| proof of that lies In the fact that towns
and cities give their children the adVan-
| tage Of 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. It can be, and
has been figured out to a mathematical
certainty. If 1t can be done in towns and
cities it can be done III the country just
as we'll.
"How will 1t work out in Noble? Just
| exactly the way the people Of Noble want
It to work out. Get that. Cost Of super
| intendents figured in, toe? Yes. Here's
how: Our county superintendent gets ST.
| SOC. The four district superintendent
get $500, $1,000, $1,000, $1,000. or $4.7OO.
Add $1.S0e and we have $500, Of which
the state pays half, leaving 1890 to pay
for experimenting. Divide that by if-
I teen townships and the share Of this exc
;pense to each would be about $216,6s 9a9
\ For every school district abandoned.
| on account of too small an average daily
attendance, or from any other cause, aft
er providing for transportation Of chill
dren residing too far away and paying
the townships share of supervision ex-
penses, you can figure net saving, per
school abandoned, Of about $3.50. So that
the new school law Is not only. going to
take first grade school to the pupil, but
Is going to do II for less money than tha
present school costs. Do 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 win average one
school abandoned to each township, at q
net gain in 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
sbf examiners Is done away with and the
county superintendent does that work al
d further saving Of $3.50.
1.-THE county superintendent and dis
trict superintendents are required tc
teach In the summer training schools for
teachers free, and teachers can ATTEND
that school tuition free. Z. '.'f3
80 the new school law stands to save
Noble county ct least $4,000 and give III
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 iT
| the little red or white schoolhouse beside
| the country road. Formerly we used II
| boast OF those little schoolhouses, and
consider that community In which theS
were most numerous as the most ad.
/
know, the little country schoolhouse now
| adays Is a sign that the community II
backward. These little ungraded country
schools are on the whole our most inefIi.
Client institutions for teaching. Progress,
is in the direction hf the consolidated
achool-whlch means a school building a!
well equipped and as well manned al
that to be found In town, with convey
ances to fetch the children thither In tn,
morning and carry them home again II
the afternoon. There are over two thou
| sand Of these consolidated rural schools
In the United States, and the number
grows. In any we'll settled state they
are a matter merely Of some gumptiol
and passable roads. The whole idea 4
that In rural district, say six mile
square, one efiicient school is much bette
than six inefficient ones. Experience
shows that the cost Is usually not mucl
greater and often less.
Schooling for his children that is a
least up to the town standard Is some
thing every farmer might reasonably de
mand, and something he can have 1,
every well settled region II he will onl,
insist upon Il. Inertia and stinginess ar
the only excuses for the little ungrade,
country school"
| It will be noted that an authorit,
80 eminent ss the editor Of the Sal
urday Evening Post puts good school
and good roads In the same list. Tha
Is just what has been done in Ohio
and just what win be maintained uI
der the present order. A slap at tn
state highway department Is also
slap 1t good schools Neither til
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