The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-06-10
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TO start discussion and get Others
ideas, wish to say a few words on the
Country School question. Will a TOWN.
ship High School fill the present needs
We hear lots about our district
schools now days, especially from
those who few years ago were schoi,
ars In these same schools. They are
not what they used to be. whys The
wise ones lay the change to the intlu-
enee of our state university. There has
been a system of study devised RUNNING
from the kindergarten to the state uni
versity, whereby child will loose no
time but go by successive steps from
one grade to another, from one school
to another, until he graduates from
our great university. But how MANY
take this full counsel AT what age do
they drop out of the system9 And do
those who drop out get the best they
could have for the time spent under the
systems
We are proud of our state univer-
Isity, and for nay part have been glad
of the appropriations that have enabled
them to draw learned men and students
to this center, to do research work and
scatter knowledge through our country.
The experiment station by its investi-
cations and push have helped the farm
er wonderfully 1t is true that a com
paratively few are raising pedigree
seeds or pure bred stock, but each one
who does is influencing others to try
better seeds or stock, and they in turn
have their influence and so our whole
agricultural line is on an upward
march. This is undoubtedly true of
other lines of industry. The boost of
our university is felt in the whole
state.
| But have they not forgotten some
things Have they not forgotten that
only a small per cent of the scholars
ever reach the university, and that by
far the largest per cent of the country
children drop out of the line at the
close of the district school, and is the
education that has been furnished
them thus far the best that could be
| furnisheds
Our country school have been graded
and the pupils graduate at the eighth
grade. We have found in our school
district that the state authorities very
strongly disapprove of any higher
studies than eighth grade being taught.
And very often through false ideas of
the pupil or teacher, or both, they grad
uate way below the eighth grade. Par
|ents like to have their children grad
uate young, and teachers think it is a
mark of credit for them to have so
many pupils graduate. So they coach
and pamper them way beyond their
learning and they graduate and leave
school maybe a poor seventh grade
scholar. Now few of these go to the
city high school, few to the CONNER
cial schools which are more practical,
many are kept at home because wise
parents do not want their children go
ing away from home at twelve to four
teen years of age into surroundings of
which they know little or nothing, and
still much larger number have to
stay at home because of financial rea-
sons. Our state then has devised a
system of education fine for the child
that can go clear through or nearly
through, but anything but good for the
child of careful parents who does not
live near higher school, and entirely
leaving out the children of parents
who cannot afford to educate them
away from home. A school system
that ends educational advantages for
the masses at twelve to fourteen years
Of age never can be good no matter
what it may do for the favored few.
I am writing of country schools and
country children.
IF we cannot go back to the good old
days when country schools took care of
the education of the children until
they were eighteen or twenty years of
age, and sent pupils to the city high
schools that led their classes, maybe we
could get a township high school, |
adapted to our needs, that the chill
dren could drive to and be at home
nights and Saturdays, and boys could |
go in winter and get chances of educa
tion denied them now. 1t might tend
to remedy this awful gap the grading
of country schools has caused.
Yours truly,
*T'wlG F. W. Roberts.