The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-04-10
|OHlO'S NEW CODE FOR STATE SCHOOLS
Agriculture Must Be Taught in All Village and Rural School Houses.

plete revision of the State school code. Sweeping changes are made in the pu blic-school system. It is doubtful if there has ever been more construc- tive and progressive school legislation enacted by a single session of the leg islature in any other State within the last half century.
 To get a. clear understanding of how all this was accomplished. it is neces- sary to know something of the Ohio State school survey which preceded this legislation. The story of this survey is given in the report to the governor of Ohp by the State school survey commission which was created by an act which passed the general assembly Feb. 26. 1913, to conduct a survey of the public schools. normal schools, and the agricultural schools of the State. The survey was a CO., operative field study conducted by pr. Horace l.. Britain, of the New York Training School for Public Service. It comprised an intensive study of 659 rural village schools in S8 counties, and an extensive study of 1000 school rooms and 395 school systems; it was participated in by A professors in professional schools for the training of teachers and 116 students in these institutions most Of whom had had ex- perience in rural teaching, 395 super intendents of schools and other school men and women. and 5000 teachers who supplied information for the com mission. It was a Statewide revival in school con ditions. By prOcIama-i ton, Governor Cox named Novem Der 14, 1913, as State school survey day for the entire State, in which he said, Let it be day of genuine awaken ing The necessity and opportunity of the hour call for it. It is estirnat- were held on this date where prob ably 500.09O citizens of Ohio learned of school conditions throughout the State and listened to the remedies su uggested for improvement.
 The commission in its letter of make a matter of fact statement of the results of our field work Our motto has been. Nothing extenuate, nor set down augTt in malice We have taken no pleasure in laying bare deplorable conditions. We believe the simple statement of these condi-. tions will do much to bring about also. found much to commend-good teachers. good conditions, and good spirit On these we must build.'' 1 The recent school Legislation in. Ohio was enacted in the light of this survey. The more important provfs ions are:
 1. New rural school supervision l law Under this act the school dis tricts of the State are to be styled l respectively, city-schoo1 districts, svi1- lage-school districts, rural-schoo1 dis i tricts, and county-school districts 2. New certihcations law. There is to be a State board of school ex- arniners, consisting of, five competent persons. residents of the State. to be f appointed by the superintendent of public instruction. not more than three of whom shall belong to the same political party.
 3. Law on the training of teachers for village and rural schools. Boards l of education which maintain first grade high schools in village or rural districts may establish normal de- partments in such schools for the rural schools. Not less than one nor more than three such schools shall be established in any county. The su- l perintendent of public instruction is l to designate schools to establish such i departments.
 the State school fund on the number of teachers and average daily attend ance of pupils.
 B. Law on minimum salaries for I teachers No person shall be em- I pIoyed to teach in any public school in Ohio for less than $40 month. | When a school district has not suffi-
 
 salaries for eight months of the year, RI after the board of education of such district has made the maximum legal school levy, three-fourths of which
 shall be for the tuition fund. then such district may receive from the
 State treasurer sufficient money to 1 make up the deficiency.
 6. Law for State aid to weak school
 districts appropriates the balance of former appropriations and the sum of J $85, ,000.
 Il ' Law on the inspection of high schools. The superintendent of pub
 lie instruction shall appoint two com potent high-school inspectors, not ,l connected with any college or univer- sity, two public high-school inspectors II selected from the faculty staff of the college of education of the Ohio State University, and one public high-school inspector from each of the faculties : of the Ohio normal colleges at OK
 ford and Athens and the Ohio normal schools at Kent and Bowling Green. 8. Law providing that agriculture 1j shall be taught in all the common schools of all village and rural-schoo, . districts which are supported in whole or in part by the State. It may be l taught in city-school districts at the option of the board of education. Foul
 district State supervisors of agricu1tu ra1 education are to be appointed pS the superintendent of public instruc. ton. g. Law on standardization of viii lage and rural schools. Instead o examining the pupils for admission tt high schools, the elementary rura schools from which they come are ts . be examined in equipment, course.
 of study provided with competent ant
 ever-present supervision, and stand
 ardized so that the school and tn,
 teacher may stand the test as we'll al l the pupil.
 CHILDREN's DISEASES