The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-06-11
EDUCATION NOTES.

| EDUIA liON NoiLS'
Every agricultural school should have
a normal department for the sole pur'
pose of training teachers for rural
schools" declares j. L. McBrien in his
Arkansas report.
Trees for identifying school grounds
are furnished free to rural schools in
California by the Chico State Normal
school. Chico will also send, on request
a man to lay out school gardens in rural
communities.
Kansas State Agricultural college has
campaign on for enlisting 10000 Kan
sas boys and girls in agricultural and
home making contests this year. A spe-
cial state organizer has been appointed.
| Edgecombe county, n. c., has recently
held series of community uplift meet
ings,o under the auspices of the educa-
tional and agricultural departments Of
the county. The county commissioners
appropriated 800 toward the work. An
other item of progress in this county is
the provision for woman assistant SUI
perintendent of rural schools, at sal
airy of $3.50 per year.
| Although California has had for more
than 10 years a law authorizing consol-
| idation of schools, consolidation is not
looked upon with favor. according to
~. C. Muerman, an official of the bu-
reau, who is now stationed in the South
west. Two of the schools visited by Mr..
Muerman had only six pupils enrolled.
The teachers received $40 month. Both
schools had good libraries.
Hawkins county, Tenn, recently ac.
complished a notable feat in consolida-
tion. Four schools were consolidated;
and the new building provided is a $500
structure with six acres of good land,
located on a pike road. Two of the old
schools were converted into d residence
for the principal. The land was donated
with the understanding that it should be
worked as demonstration school farm.
The principal is hired for IL months in
the year.
State Supt Harris, Of Louisiana, in
recent official letter, commends the
Natchitoches Parish school board for in
viting the country boys from all sections
of the parish to assemble for week to
study agricultural questions under the
direction of agricultural experts. The
boys of each rural school elected one or
more representatives TO attend this in
stitute The IS farmer boys were given
free entertainment in the homes of the
people OF Natchitochs. These boys were
intensely interested in the work of the
institute and joined intelligently and ear
nestly in the discussion of agricultural
questions.
j. c. Timberman of Chester, w. Va,
tells OF a certain school in his state
where 40 pupils were enrolled. All 40
pupils attended school the six months
required by the compulsory attendance
law, but 10 stayed away the last three
months Of school. Now ii cost just as
much. argues Mr. Timberman. ito oper-
ate this school the last three months
with the reduced attendance as it did
when the entire 40 attended. There is
a loss of Is per cent of the entire ex
pense of the school. The teacher re-
ceives S55; and % per cent of $50 is
Sl3,75 per month loss. Multiply this by
three and you get a loss of S4l.25 for
three months. The district has ls
schools. The taxpayers therefore lose
S4l.25 multiplied by 49, or s742.50 each
year. through a weak compulsory educa-
tion law and negligent parents. Do you
think any private business would permit
such a willful wastef If such Grim
inal waste is not good for private bus
mess, why do we permit it in public
business 2"
A school census for rural districts has
been put into successful operation by
Supt. Morton, of Concord township
schools, Frankfort, 0, The census card
used gives more facts than the usual
registration card. 1t shows whether
glasses are worn or not; whether
eyes have been examined and when;
whether the pupil has been vaceinated
and when; and physical defects of an
kind. In explaining why he drew up the
census card Supt. Morton SAYS: Coming
into new field here last fall, found it
very difficult task to become acquaint
ed with between 400 and 500 enrolled
pupils, their parents. and the conditions
under which they lived. Hence the cen
sus card. The teachers have filled out
one of these for each pupil in the super
visorv district With these cards filed
alphabetically in my office, ! have i'm
mediate access to a very large amount
of information, which is at times almost
indispensable. The first thing ! did was
to ascertain the percentage OF retarded
pupils and then proceed to investigate
individual cases. These cards, together
with the teachers monthly reports, make
it possible for me to talk intelligently
with any parent who may drop into the
office concerning his children, their prog
ress in school, or any other school and