The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-24
THE RURAL FREE SCHOOLS.
How They Are Viewed by the Ted
eral Bureau Of Education.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir:
Figures collected by the United states
Bureau OF Education show that the
rural public schools OF the country are
taught largely by young unmarried
people who have no idea OF following
teaching as a profession. According to
these figures the average age when
teaching Is begun Ia 10 years and the
average time devoted to the profession
is six and a half years.
The average time for a teacher TO
remain in any one school, according to
Harold w. Foght. who compiled the
figures. Is less than two years Of 40
days each. This average IL really less
for the majority OF teachers. and Is
raised to the year figures by the few
permanent professional teachers alone.
Mr.. Foght's conclusions are:
SO long as teachers conti~se to be
peripatetics the best result In community
leadership cannot be expected. A change
from the amateur to professional teach
ing In the rural schools would be fastened
by giving the teacher a salary that would
enable him to provide comfortably for his
family. and by compelling the community
through legal enactments to erect a teach
er's cottage In close proximity to every
school.
~ 'piiDtitT VI ~ NV sh'
special inquiries regarding the housing
u teachers in rural communities. OF
two thousand teachers who replied to
his inquiries only s~eventy-three lived
In homes provided by the community.
In these figures. however. the bulletin
says. It Is demonstrated that Che pro-
viding Of such homes makes the teacher
"A community leader.
"ln the few communities reporting per
manent homes says the bulletin, the
teachers are usually able to project the
school into she home and draw the home
closer to the school. Where teachers
cottages are provided. these, aside from
the making of the teachers own lives
more attractive. naturally become rally
Ing centres OF all community activities"
CONFIDENTIAL figures obtained by the
Bureau OF Education from forty-three
text book publishers In the United
States show that their aggregate total
sales of text books for use in public
and private schools in 1913 amounted TO
s17,274.030 The aggregate for public
elementary and high schools amounted
TO sl3.26l.76S.
The total enrolment in public ele-
mentary and high schools for the year
was approximately ls,609.040. Exclud-
Ing the elementary school enrolment OF
'alltoffla, since tal1ofnla prints ls
own elementary books. the number be-
comes lS.2l3.7Ss. For each child en-
rolled In the public schools In the United
States. therefore. the total annua sale
Of text books is 7s.3 cents. The total
expenditure a child for all school pur-
poses Is approximately 1851. The
cost OF text books IN nus approximately
2 per cent. of the total cost OF mainte-
nance, support and equipment. The cost
a child on the school population basis,
5 to Is years Of age. is 56.6 cents the
the total population basis is less thar
10 cents.
These figures indicate that there I,
little ground for the fear sometimes
expressed that the introduction Of free
text books will add greatly to the cos
OF the public school system and viii
greatly increase the rate Of taxation
for school purposes. As a matter OF fac,
the cost for text books IL a relatiyei,
small item In the total expenditure fol
school purposes.
Bureau OF Education officials fee
convinced that the figures obtained az.
ford a trustworthy statement OF tn,
real facts about the size Of the school
book business. The forty-three frm,
from which data were obtained handle
probably 90 per cent. OF the total tex
book sales IN this country. Beside.
California. Kansas also prints its owr
text books. but the plan was not ir
operation In 1918. NJ.
NEW YORK, June 90.