Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-10-18
INSTRUCTION IN AGRICULTURE
AND OTHER SUBJECTS
1oTHERs SCHOOLS.
MANY PROBLEMS IN
SMALL RURAL DISTRICTS
Economic and Other Important Studies
Must Be Taught in One Teacher
Schools County superintendents
Have Work Cut Out For Them in In
staIling New Departments.
Special to T.mes-RepubIican.

Special to mes-RepupicaA.
Des Moines Oct. 1S.--In letter sent
out today to county superintendent
concerning the teaching of agriculture,
home economics and manual training
in the one teacher rural schools, State
superintendent Deyoe warns against
some of the notable causes of failure III
teaching agriculture He enumerates
these as follows Teaching text book
agriculture only; teaching subjects
which have no application to their To-
calties; season sequence is not tol-
lowed; no FIELD trips are taken; no eN-
detrimental work is undertaken,
Many problems are being presented
to county school superintendent and
school teachers in small rural schools
in providing for the teaching of these
subjects which under the new law
must Be a part of the one teacher
school as well as the larger and better
equipped schools. -rne Jaw specifies
that the necessary equipment must De
provided by the school board Many OF
the buildings are small, however. and
require additional room if much equip
ment is reeded
Cooking in Every School.
As TO home economics, the depart
ment suggests that cooking not be re
CURED in every school, There are
school rooms TOO small to make It pos
sible to find a place for the oil stove
and domestic science cabinet" says the
department Under such circum-
stances lessons in sewing is all that it
would be advisable 70 attempt. Tie de-
partmant recommends that cooking
equipment be put into selected schools
only, select as many as possible where
conditions are favorable concerning
room and ability of the teacher to
teach the new subjects
The same suggestions apply 70 put
ting in the manual training equipment
for wood wNrking as concerning the
material for cooking; better not at
tempt 20 start wood working in all the
schools at once" advises the state SUI
perintendent.
The state superintendent points out
that many helpful bulletins on these
subjects can be secured both from
Ames and the government and espe-
cially warns against teaching text book
agriculture only Better omit the use
of the text book than to omit the OBJ
servation trips and the experimental
work.
The most difficult and important
work OF the county superintendent
during the present school year and
possibly for two or three years. in the
opinion of State Superintendent Deyoe
is the installation of the new subjects.
Survey to Start Nov. 8.
The survey commission appointed by
P P. Claxton. United States ,educa-
tional commissioner. to make survey
of the Iowa state educational institu-
lions. has fixed Nov. as the date for
starting the personal inspection work
at the state institutions. The members
of the commission expect 10 begin at
Iowa City on or about that date and
spend four days al the state university,
then four days az the state agricul-
tural college at Ames and then three
days at Cedar Falls at the state nor
NAL school.
The commission already has consid-
cradle data with reference TO Iowa's
educational institutions which It has
secured by correspondence. What the
members Of the commission will look
into especially is the number Of pupils
in the various classes to ascertain IL
some classes are maintained which are
not large enough 70 warrant their con-
tinuance; the extension work and its
efficiency; the amount of class room
used and necessary and in general the
efficiency Of the systems and manage
ment
il viii be remembered shat TIA gov
eminent is making this survey al the
request Of the state board of education.
The state board IS anxious TO know the
most approved educational systems as
recommended by the educators whom
the government has selected to make
the survey. THIS is the first survey of
the kind which the government has
undertaken since establishing its de-
partment Of education.