The Parisian. (Paris, Tenn.) 1907-1962, 1915-01-22
& JUNGLE JOSH" FAvORS
SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION

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Politics, short crops, money
stringency, Christmas festivities.
war, big fires earthquakes and
then what? Lets now take one
more look at home and try to ad-
just ourselves to the present
condition of things. l like to be
heard on some of the questions
of the day and am impressed
that, while many have shown
considerable interest in the use
and dissemination of public util-
tiles we should get some plan on
foot to build and maintain a
more efficient system of rural
schools. 1t seems to me that we
might centralize and consolidate
our country school. For the
most part our schools are lack
ing in interest. Many of them
are made up of small children
and but few at that. Say an av-
erage of about 20, ranging in
age from 6 to 16 years of age.
The term opens about the first
of August and continues 6 or Z
weeks, cotton picking, county
fairs and protracted meetings
then gets the next 6 or z weeks,
all these good promotions to be
sure. The scene then shifts and
the interest has abated, the long
lanes get muddy and icy, a large
per cent cant 60, on account of
bad weather, etc.
Now to be brief think that
we need at least three of our
schools punched together and
while the beginning would suffer
its hazards and hardships, a lit
tie plot of land on which should
be built a suitable home capable
of housing a third or half of the
children, this to be the home of
the principal who should be a
freeholder and a gentleman who
can manage home, farm, and
a school. Having these quail
ties with a school of 10 months
term, his assistants may be en-
gagged by the board as is usually
done.
Let the two months out of
school be May and June and
these two spent in planting a
crop of vegetables on the plot of
ground.
AS attendance under the COM
pulsory law; let the patrons
choose at their own will 7 of the
ten months to send his children,
and since all would not be likely
to choose the same time the
school of ten months term would
be well attended and we would,
without doubt, get splendid re-
suits.
This plan would allow the lit
tie children plenty of time in
good weather to get in seven
months attendance and the larg-
err and stronger ones to put in
his bulk of attendance in the
winter when all could not go.
The patrons in addition to the
vegetables grown on the farm,
worked by the children, teacher
and others would be legitimate
means of board to be supplement
ted sufficiently to pay the home
and management. Lets see some
thing of the cost of operating
this farm. Three schools cost
approximately (a) cost of build
ing $500, CD the cost of supply
ing, repairing, ETC., SIS, (c) the
cost of teacher for 6 months,
$216-a ggregating about $500 or
about $3.50 year. Throw this all
toge ther and we have about
LnOuSanQ collars a year Tor the
maintenance of a school that
will have three times the efficien-
cy and thus obviating the neces-
sity of having to send to town so
many children who need so much
to remain at or near home.
| don't know just at present
how many schools in the county,
but to say 60 and putting 3 to-
gether we would have only 20
rural schools two teachers to
half of these and three to the
other half would reduce the
number Of teachers only a small
bit. | think that our loss in any
way would be made up many
times in good results from a
school of such proportions.
UNCLE Josh.