Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-03-16
SURVEY REPORT MADE
NORMAL RECOMMENDS STEP TO
SOLVING RURAL PROBLEMS.
Reasons for Elimination of One Room
Institution Are Pointed Out
and Illustrated.

and Illustrated.
AS the result of survey conducte,
by the rural school department of tn,
Oregon Normal school, the consolida
ton of the Oregon rural schools ha.
been recommended as the key to tn,
solving Of all present school problems
in the remote sections of the state.
"Teachers like to be near Others
who are interested in the same prob.
lens that confront them. They feel
the need of someone with their point
OF view to whom they may confde,
tell their troubles, consult about their
problems, breathe their hopes and
rejoice over their successes" the de-
partment report says. "The one
room school precludes such a posi-
bility."
The impossibility of teacher s
realization of his highest efficiency in
a rural school, short term of contract
lack OF encouragement to the rural
teacher for growth and self-improve-
ment, the possibility of rural teachers
being so easily taken by cities and
towns, and aloofness from other edu-
catlonal forces, all have a tendency
to retard educational progress in the
country, it is further claimed. Bv
consolidation a rural school NAV be-
come a strong force, according to the
report, and teachers therein would be
on the same plane as those in the
larger schools.
Reasons Are Given.
The reasons for the proposed elm
ination of one-room schools are given
as follows: Consolidation makes eff
ficient work possible. cit brings to-
gether enough children for a graded
school. Community prejudices would
be eliminated. ''It makes the school
a community center. "More efficient
teachers may be secured and held.
." Average attendance is always bet
ter. Country children are educated
In the country and for the country
and both they and their parents are
kept there. "a dollar buys more good
results
As an example of a recent consoli-
dation of rural schools, the report
cites the Alsea district, where five
schools were displaced by a
graded school and high school locat-
ed in Alsea. Wagons are used to car
ry the children from points within
radius of five miles of the town. A
band of 30 pieces was one of the re-
suits of consolidation and the social
ife is said to have been benefited
yreatly.
M. S. Pittman, head of the Normal
'ural department, has made several
rips through each county of the state
living and educational con
litions. Professor Pittman now is in
he East observing the methods en-
,loyed in rural schools and the char
of the districts.
In accordance with the results
hown by the survey and the observa- .
ions made by Professor Pittman. the
curses at the Normal school will be I
onstructed to meet the timely needs
t rural schools. Plans are to be c
1ade for large gathering of rural S
instructors at the summer session. q
Which commences in June, at which f
netting methods for the proposed =
doption of the consolidation plan n
ill be discussed. q
Wherever great distances between i
chools prevent consolidation the +
of grades has been recon- i
lended. Five grades are declared to n
e the limit for one teacher and eight a
rades the limit for any two teachers 4
| school, and teachers should have
greater freedom for specialization. =
By one of these two methods it is r
tanned that each Oregon rural school II
ay be economically improved. "