The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1915-12-23

transportation, and a world Of
things which his father or grand
! father would have laughed at as
| the frills Of a doctrinarie edu
cation, Notwithstanding the early
example Of the wise and many
sided farmer who was the third
president of this country
/ have said in previous report
that the bureau Of education
should either be abolished or put
to serious high purpose. | be-
licve the latter to be the wise, In
fact the necessary course. There
is a real use for it.
This is a wide country, and
there is need for a national clear
ing house where can be centered
and exchanged the results of the
most remote experiments.
There is no Disgusting the fact
that we have a most difficult
problem in the United States
and | cannot believe it is ours
alone-in the rural community.
A majority of our school chill
dren are in rural schools. The
query arises, are our rural schools
doing their part in making life in
the country desirable? An ambi-
titious people will go where edu-
cation can be had for their chill
dren. There is no sense in talk
ing of the charms Of country life
and the independence and digni-
ty Of producing from the soil if
the school at command is no more
modern than a wooden pillow. The
old-fashioned, one-roomed school
house, which holds 40 or SO I'M
graded pupils, having but single
teacher who knows nothing but
books, is not modern institution
though great men have issued
from it's doors. 1t may be all
that the county can afford where
many schools are maintained,
but it is not all that the county
can afford if schools are grouped
and grades instituted. The rich
est state in the union has over
1000 schools Of this character,
wherein the teachers are paid less
than competent farm hands land
this brings to mind the correla-
tive thought that one needed re-
form in the school system is in
the elevation of teaching into a
real profession, as in older coun-
,ries. AS it is now, teacher is
almost without status in our So
,iety. And this, in addition to |
he inadequency of the pay, has
lrawn to the profession those who |
Use it only as makeshift and
hose who, out of spirit of self
acrifice and love for the work,
erve in the highest way the pub
lie good. Of the former class
We need fewer, and to the latter
hould come increasing honor.
How can the schools Of coun-
y be so co-ordinated and COM
lined as to make them efficient
ools? What should be the STAN
lard for teachers qualifica-
ions How may children be
rought to and taken from the
chool to distant homes at the
east expense? To what extent
hould the teaching be out OF
oors and the examples" those
f real life2 How can the boy
earn that there is adventure i'll
arm life as well as in the city FL
Or adventure he will have. To
hat uses may the school build
lg be put as community cen
sr for the neighborhood dance,
'cture, or moving-picture show,
r, perhaps, as the home of CO.
perative buying or marketing or
These are but few {
the questions which many men I
ave tried to answer, and there {
ave been some successful expert t
ents made and right answers b
ven.
But it is as hopeless a task for r
local school board to find these s
lswers as for a lawyer to know n
e decisions of all the courts. a
ne teachers, the superintendent n
ID the school boards need lead t.
ship; they need an authorita- b
ye statement of conclusions by a
G widest and most practical L
enin the land; they need to be u
own the better way. And with p
en- as little as hundred thous- 5
d dollars a year for two or sc
rec years we could, believe, W
nduct campaign for a new CT
I'd of rural school that would re
rk little less than a revolution ca
rural life. Our aim would be ia
identify the school with the flo
m and the village, and devel- III
a new respect in fathers and ed