The Springdale news., 1915-11-05
AN EDUCATIONAL SURVEY
Some Fundamental Problems.

l. NS CoOSA IOfSRI oO OHVEY.
 Some Fundamental Problems
 Notwithstanding the eommendable growth in our public schools in the past six years a recent survey Of tie schools in all states made by the Sage Foundation shows that in the basis of efficiency the schools Of Arkansas rank forty-third This means that SO far as educational opportunities are concerned there are fortv-two better states in which 10 rear children. This information is humiliating 10 our state pride, it is alarming to those of us who have children 10 educate. If 1t is true We should face the situation squareiy.- Evasion and explanation will not mend 1t. While We are dc nyine or apoligizing fifty thousand of our children are every year passing beyond the school age without the CD. portunities offered 10 children IF other states
 The Rural SehooIs.-These schools gre kept open less than six months of the year. some of them for one month enly. they are in charge Of teachers Who are paid less per year than K earned hg unskilled laborers. less than ohezsixth of them having aad any edu- cation beyond the common school branches and no professional tram. ing whatever; considerably less than one-haf Of the children Of school age are in daily attendance; that is. there IS no day wien half the children of our state are =scaool.and= less than SIX dollars per annum per ehilG is expend. d for maintenance It is painful to contrast these conditions with those n Illinois. for instance. n which the annual expenditure per pupil is twen. ty-three dollars. or with Washington in which t is thirtytwo dollars h both of these states the school term is one hundred and seventy days. prac. .ieally all of the teachers have mad some professional training, and under compulsory attendance lays all chif dren under sixteen years are in school
 Special Districts.-In tne villages and larger towns conditions are some what better. The school term fe fonser. teachers are better paid and therefore better trained, and tho per centage of daily attendance is higher But even here. except ia a few places the schools are far below the stand ards in similar places in surrounding states In many districts The free term Of from three 10 fye months has been followed by a private term and iu some cases taere has been 10 free term at al. payment for tuition having been required of all high school pupils and occasionally from all pupils.
 Teachers-The chief factor in the efficiency of The schools 3s the teacher He must have not only native ability. bur training as well.
 School Laws-The inefieieney of onr schools is Hot due primarily to lack of funds The source of the trouble lies in our antiquated scrool laws Under these and the recent de. cision of the Supreme Court in the State Aid case our public school sYss tenn k about to breeL down under the demands made upon it by the condi. tions Of modern life
 Remedies. These ahsatisfactory conditions deserve the attention Of all thoughtful people They affect every home and every child in the state. as- necially those in the rural districts. We need new system with new set of school laws. beginning with the constitution so far as t concerns edn. cation Among the changes needed to modernize the system are tke follow. ing
 | The passage at the next general election If the constitutional amend ment permitting local districts 10 vote : maximum school tax of twelve mills.
 ? ! constitutional amendment making the county the principal school unit.
 3 ! county board of education with authority to manage the schools of the county.
 | \ county superintendent in each county appointed by the county board i of education.
 , < county high school in each county of the state under the manage- ment of the county beard of education.
 { The adaptation of the common school course of study to the needs of the children by the introduction of industrial courses.
 :. An awakening to the fact that half the children Of the state are al. ways out of school; eventually they will all Fote.-B, W Torreyson. Little l Rncl. ArkaneaS