Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1915-01-23
PROGRESS SHOWN
IN RURAL SCHOOLS
Some interesting Data Found in Re-
port of State Supervisor L. j.
Hanfan.

""9 Pio5ieS SAIL dlOnS the line
! Of rural school improvements mark
e. The years 1912-13-14, according to
| l.. j. llanifan, state supervisor of
rural schools. A brief report OF the
work of the rural schools, together
with some comments and recommend
atlonS relative to their further i'm.
proVement, Is contained in the TWEEN
tyfirst biennial report Of the state
department OF free schools, now in
the hands Of the printer being pre-
pared for submission to the legisla-
ture
Except in an occasional district
hero and there, where local conditions
made progress impossible, there has
been forward movement towards
better things for the country youth Of
West Virginia, Prof Hanifan saws:
Not single county" he declares,
has failed to do something that
would Indicate spirit Of progress
among its teaching force and among
it' citizens as well If we consider
the state as a whole, there can !e
no doubt that the work OF the rural
SCHOOLS has been decidedly better
thar during any preceding biennial
Period Of the states history"
Earmarks of Growth.
Some earmarks Of the growth Of
efficiency OF the rural schools Of the
state are enumerated by Supervisor
lanifan, as follows: Aroused public
sentiment, faithfulness of teachers to
their work, increased attendance Of
our teachers upon our Normal schools
and the summer school Of the state
university. increased school attend
ance, improved physical conditions Of
buildings and grounds, increase OF
school funds raised by individual dis
tricts. voting Of bonds and special lev
Ives, the building Of better school
houses, the possession of larger school
grounds, improved supervision of the
schools, and community social meet
ings.
'If we may Judge by these things
we cannot doubt that there have been
notable and substantial rural school
improvements" he comments.
IT IS pointed out, though, that rural
school progress fn West Virginia
comes by counties and, more particu-
In II Iiotr intf ;,,Ii Il Il
schools, and while certain counties
lave made very substantial improve
nents other counties, perhaps, have
made very little advancement educa.
t;onally during the past two years.
But" Prof. Hanifan says in his re.
p< TT, although the sum total OF nm
proven ents outweighs the stagnation
0" poverty OF many districts, sc
should not forget the often repeated
proverb: NO chain is stronger than
It,. eakest link SO long as a single
country boy or girl is deprived Of the
OPT ortuLity to acquire at least an nle-
nentarv education, just 80 long viii
Il ut y american ueUjOClhty nave ldllc1
:, realize it's ideal in rural West ViT-
ginia"
The rural schools need more money.
This IS emphasized in Prof Hanifan's 8
report. "We cannot expect to pro-
vide good rural schools unless we
first have more money" he says.
Good schools cost money, just as a
good article Of any kind costs more
than poorer grade article. Are we
willing to pay the price? If not, we
had as we'll quit talking about the in
efficiency Of our rural schools.
It is pointed out that taking the
state as whole, West Virginia
spends $11, 900 year per child Of
school age. Thirty-two other states
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