The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-05-01
Paper Read By II. E.
Blomquist Before the So
ciaI Science Club Last
Night.

"Sir Horace Plunkett said of rural
education; The education given TO
country children has been invented
for them in the town, and it not
only bears no relation to the life
they are TO lead, but actually at
tracts them toward town career
From the beginning. teachers
have been largely city trained.
Though country bred perhaps, they
have caught the city fever and II
seems TO be very contagious. They
have brought city manners and style
and city standards and ideals and
the love Tor city life. Uneonsclonsly
perhaps they have impressed the
minds OF children. The text books
are products Of the city and the city
curriculum has been adopted through
out. The teaching material often, in
stead OF being connected with the
farm, deals with city problems. II
deals with stocks and bonds and
commerce. instead of problems OF
the dairy. the silo or the soil.
Suggestive Power Of Books.
sThe suggestive power OF such
books and teachers is very great
with impressionable children. A child
quickly learns to consider commerce
above farming city speed above
country thoroughness, superficial
success above the common every
day virtues. and city excitement
and hustle above the Joy OF true
friendships.
There Is a Just cause for com.
plants against the present school
system and its way Of teaching in
the country. The country schools
stimulate the disintegrating tenden-
cies of rural life They should train
for the soil rather than away from
1t, and develop rural interests and
ideals. They should teach the boys
and girls not to ind FAULT and be
discontented with farm life, but
to see the privilege OF country free
dom and the possibilities OF scien-
Ntihc farming and soil productiyeness.
Before this can be done however. II
seems that normal schools for rural
teachers must move out OF the city,
or import from the country enough
OF country ideals, enthusiasm and
sympathy to At the teachers person
ally for the work.
Weakness Of Country Sc hooI.
Another weakness I'm the country
school is the small district and con.
sequently the small school. The small
district is not financially able nor In
clined to rather competent etcherss,
for with group of children from six
to eighteen or twentyyear old, and
classes from the primary to the eighth
grade, with the required number ofsub-
jects for each grade, II is impossible
for one person to carry on the work
Of the school and teach as II should
be done. Neither can the district
school be adequately equipped with
the necessary means, such as labor.
atories and other facilities for
carrying on the most necessary and
interesting studies that should be
taught in a rural school.
In spite of the fact that in the
country a teacher has only about
two-thirds as many pupils as has
a city teacher thereby making the
cost per pupil more for teachers
salary In the country, other things
being equal, and that there are over
twelve million country school chill.
In the United States, and only half
that number of children In cities,
yet the cities have invested twice as
much as the country in public school
property and spends far more for
school support each year.
Country Boys Education.
The average country boys edu.
cation costs but s12.52 a year while
the cities spend SCOTS annually
on each pupil. Here Is then a ques-
tion TO be answered: Should the
boy and girl be. penalized for living
In the country? Why should the boy
who happens by the accident of
birth to live In the country suffer
needless handicap? When the
free public school system was es-
tablished, the purpose was to main
tain equal rights to all. the children
OF both rich and poor alike. The wei.
fare Of the republic depends on the
maintenance Of this principle. But
with the growth OF great cities and
the slow progress OF the country
school, the country boy has been
losing his share.
| Consolidation Of Schools.
AS a solution to this rural school
problem, the most important factor
In the social welfare of the country
we come to the consolidation OF
rural schools. Much can be said on
this question. and while most ar.
gurnents are for the consolidation
there are some against II. Consoli.
dalton is efficiency applied to the
ruarl school situation. Instead oil
perhaps eight separate schools
housed in poor buildings. with very
poor equipment. there could be one
central building. modern and sani
tary in construction and equipped
with the necessary facilities for