Omaha daily bee., 1915-09-04
ONE-ROOM SCHOOL
DOOMED BY THOMAS
State Superintendent Hits Senti.
ment About Little Red School
House Hard Blow.
Is wAsTEFUL AND INEFFICIENT


The district school house must 60.
1t is obsolete and totally inefficient.
1t must be succeeded by the co-opera-
tive school, where children can have
socializing influence and the teach
ers the inspiration of large groups of
pupils.
This was the glst of State Superin-
tendent A. o. Thomas address at the
Douglas County Teachers institute
in the court house.
THE one-room school house came
in with the OK team" he said. 1.-THE
OK team has disappeared and we have
the automobile, but the little school
is still with u.s."
As an example Of tho great wasteful-
ness of the district schools, the superin-
tendent stated that there are 1907 OF
them In the state with only from one to
twelve pupils each. OF this number 1000
have only six children or less.
Some object to a change on account
of sentiment" he said. They have ten
der memories of the little red school
house. That reminds me of an old fell
low ] met going to the mill. He filled
one end Of the sack with wheat and put
a large stone in the other end and hung
it over the saddle why don't you fill
both ends of the sack with wheat. Then
you wouldn't need to carry that stone
and could carry twice as much wheatr
1 asked. He replied, Well, my father
and grandfather used this stone and
there's a sort o. sentiment attached to
IT. We need to have less sentiment and
more service in our school advancement
Three Plans Proposed.
Desired results can best be attained
through the cooperative school. Each
locality, like each human individual, has
its own problem to solve. Three plans
are proposed.
First. II it seems best to retain the
one-room district school the State de-
partment win back up the people in
standardizing It in building, equipment,
teacher and program, and make it the
best single-room rural school that can
be produced.
Second, II the district is able to support
but a small weak school, then the CO.
operative plan Of bringing together two
or more districts is proposed. This would
give such school a capacity group for
instruction. The division of labor for
teachers, and high school privileges.
Third, If neither Of these plans seem
practicable then the overhead high school
may be established.
During the last six months a reor-
ganization of about 800 schools has taken
place. This is wonderful progress. 1 am
proud of the people of Nebraska their
Interest in education Is manifest in their
sincere and progressive attitude. II these
new schools are successful, as they must
be. the coming year will see still greater
progress"
Urges Verse Writing.
Prof. Howard r. briggs of the Uni
versity Of Utah addressed the teachers
and advanced some new ideas for teach
ing the young idea. 1t seems that ANA
teur "potry" and poems" long scoffed
the professor most strongly advised the
teachers to urge their pupils to write
verses
IT have over 1000 poems written by
grade school children" he said. Some
are poor. of course, but some are abso-
lutely classical in their genius. You will
be astonished at the results you will
get"
He repeated verse written by a sixth
grade boy which described the meadow
brook In onamatapoetio cadences that
made the stream fairly sound its note
to the nearer.