The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1914-08-06

the Thought. the habits and customs
Of his pupils and their parents as sine
teacher In the country schools.
1.-THE existing gulf between school
ana rome IL a common phrase. The
/ t~o have but little common interest,
and until his cnnditiou can be over
come tie rural school problem will
continue 10 perplex Home and iarnl
problems must become a part OF the
school activities, and OF tue other
hand the home and farm must he i'm
pFegDate ed with 4 wholesome aud en-
iightsned infiuenes from the school.
The country at large mas not felt
this aeed as yet 10 spite OF ration
aide agitation ~ educators, legiaia-
tors ana editors. II Ii no easy jCb TO
b-eak the crust OF country e0nserTa-
tism. There are too many people
vino say that ''wnat was good enough
for us 10 good enough for children
n0w. such people are living ex'
amplss Of the weakness OF such an
| argument. Agai ~ stupidits the
| gods themselves are powerlsss, and IN
some country districts there In form
~ petritied stupidity eiu ehed tight
iy by otherwise worthy folks that
nothing short Of the crash OF warning
worlds could ever jolt out OF their rut
/ Of self satisfied imOecility.
/ hut, A. says a writer ia Suburban
| Life, what we need for some years "a
cou.e IL more agitation, more demon
II station, preaching the rural eoapel II
II season and out Of season, patient cd
II ltors who sill not think the snlbec
worn out, stiek-to-it.ive educator
and legislators sho will not give "a
II when their pet schemes fall fiat
IL A recent editorial In this Saturda
II Evening Post makes some rathe
strong remarks about dur rural schoc
II system. "It ought 10 be pretty We
understood by this time that the one
room rural district school beloved b
~ our grandfathers is mostly seanda
u GUS institution. The typical teachs
. n a girl Just out OF normal schoo
9 much underpald, sometimes owe
q worked and sometimes with on
. half dozen pupils ~ assorted age
x 4 great majority OF these schools a
x pnorly housed and hardly equipped
y adjust a hare little room, with
@ lie X, a rostrum. blackboard ara
q isopous east iron stove. Lt
rs m other poor institutions tie u
x tie red sehoplhouse suhs'st mainly
Y preindlce and mere inertia " 90
" eating children is worth all THIS
q fort, to give them tolerably enici
@ teaching is worth just a little nc
q effort.
~ Those are rather bitter words al
x of course, We can agree that they
x not apply to conditions In Len
" county. But we still have so
q '.poisonous cast iron stoves u
G bake aud addle the brains of the
~ Tins who sit near them while
x rest OF line room Is at zero tempe
x ture. wonder why 1t should be G
sidered impractical TO talk about
y proper heating and ventilating
g tenn for a rural school when 1t Is
~ known that proper heating ana
x tilation mean so much for the hea
x comfort and efficiency OF the child
x in our schools.
Y And we still have too much 'p
q udice and mere inertia. As IL
@ In the beginning, Is now and
q shall be" seems to be the creed
X too many rural districts.
x 1t Is pitiful TO think OF great
" ton like the United States b
v snugly satisfied with state OF al
@ which allows thousands and til
q ands OF its citizens TO have SC
Il system OF six and seven m0nti
x year leading up to a scramble thrc
Y an eighth grade examination,
" dropping out sooner aud then <
g out iuto the world TO take
q chances of becoming insists, TAI
~ and cumbarers OF the ground. /
x not unpatriotlc To say that Dent
ans. many other "effete EuIopI
" countries are lar IN ADVANCE Vi
y nation in the matter OF rural 81
G education and rural community
n ditious. We need to look ee
.A& American provincialism and TAXI
wv best from the systems OF the
world. Hitherto the tendency
AllIk parently, has been To gather Ct
:. the fads and frills.
? The practical bridging OF this
, bet ween the home and the scho
1.-the work which must be done b,
2 teachers and .,eople In our rural
? tricts. The teachers and the |
@ !. must cooperate. All live tea
? know that IL Is easier TO make
;. ress against open opposition
;. against dull, blank indifference
X Much has been said about the
n y ure of the studies pursued In
;. schools to adapt themselves to
X sliife. asa remedy Tor that IL n
p suggested that the country chi
\ taught In terms of country life.
IA :. does not mean adding To the
, sary three RS other studies :
I'LL. 4.aliny a.Sth nuVtsutturai