Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1916-11-15
RURAL AND CITY
SCHOOLS COMPARED
DR.. Wagner Complies Stats
tics

wish to praise or to extol one kind
Of school and to condemn or to run
down the other. Differences exist
In studying conditions, these diff
ferenceS come to the front and
stand out, or are conspicuous. The
state official who does his duty
fairly and impartially states the
differences, calls attention to them
and trusts to the good sense and
the right motive Of the persons af-
fected to ponder the facts and to
adopt the necessary remedies.
Partisans of both the rural and
the town school assert that their
kind of school is better. Figures
or results are not often adduced.
Most frequently the partisan of
the rural school, then attended a
town school, and in the town
school has easily led the class and
taken the graduation honors. This
may show that that particular
rural school is better than that
particular town school, or that that
particular rural pupil is an excep-
tionally bright rural pupil. Usu-
ally it is the latter fact alone that
is shown. AS soon as all the pu-
pills of both classes of schools are
considered, there can be no doubt
in which kind of school the child
gets the better chance, therefore,
which is the better school, measur-
ed in terms Of what all the chill
dren are accomplishing.
If the illustration be restricted
to the school ages to IA inclusive,
the following will appear:
Ages 7 and 8, the only ages at
which the rural schools show up
better in any respect:
(r) rural schools; (t) incorpor-
ated Gown schools:
Number Of pupils: & & g en-
rolled: Or 2495; (t) 1908; number
Of pupils accelerated, or ahead of
grade expected: (r) 249; (t) 1873,
percentage Of grade expected: (r)
10; (t) "a; number of pupils in
normal, or in grade expected: (r)
$50; (t) TAO; percentage in grade
expected: (r) 80; (t) 46; number
of pupils retarded, or behind
grade expected: (r) 1896; (t) 73O;
percentage behind grade expected
(r) Sc; (t) as.
That is, although at these ages
the rural schools show 10 per
cent of pupils ahead of the grade
expected while the town schools
show only 8.4 per cent, yet in the
two other items the town schools
show a marked superiority, hav-
ing a much larger percentage in
the normal grade, and a much
smaller percentage behind the ex-
pected grade.
The comparison for the ages 9
to IA inclusive makes the differ
ence much greater but still on the
same side, namely, in favor of the
town schools:
Number of pupils enrolled g.
14): Cr) 6315; (t) 1889; number of
pupils accelerated, or ahead of
grade expected: (r) 289; (t) 500;
percentage ahead of grade expect
ed: Cr) AS; (O 81; range of ac-
celebration in school years: (r) | to
2 years; (t) to years; number
OF pupils in normal, or in expected
grade: (r) 1856; (t) 1910; percent
age of pupils in expected grade:
r) 1914; (t) 29.5; number of pu-
pills retarded, or behind expected
grade: (r) 500; (t) 1882; per-
centage behind expected grade:
(r) $50; (t) $40; range of retard-
alton in school years: (r) l to 8
years; (t) to 8 years; average
retardation per pupil: (r) I'll
years; (t) 10 years.
That is, in every point the town
school is ahead for these ages, and
is ahead by difference that any
one can appreciate. If the ages
peyolu IA were SHOWN, the results
would be still more pronouncedly
IN favor of the town schools; the
rural schools conduct no grades be- |
yond the eighth, hence COMPARE
son for those ages might seem un-
fair.
The conclusion in unavoidable.
however, that the child's chances
to get the teaching he needs and
can best profit by are far better in
the town than in the rural school.
This is to be expected, of course,
considering longer terms, closer
supervision, better teaching, more
money expended per child; which
brings the song back again to the
old refrain, and demands a school
tax system which requires the paw