New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1916-11-01
RURAL SCHOOLS IN
NIC0LLET VISITED
STATE EDUCATIONAL BOARD is
MAKING WIDE SURVEY OF
CONDITIONS.
LOCAL MEN AID IN SOLVING
PROBLEM IN ADJOINING
COUNTY.

Kennedy and Prof. H. C. Hess, superin-
tendent of the New Ulm schools, made
two days. trip visiting the rural schools
in four townships of Nicollet county last
week. They were designated by the
State Board of Education to assist in an
investigation of twenty counties as to-
the rural school conditions, reports of
which will be used in determining the
needs of the schools and as a guide to
legislation to be sought at the coming
session of the state legislature. The
investigation of the twenty counties
which was made last week required the
services Of the members of the faculties
of the several normal schools in the state,
the members of the board of education,
superintendent of some of the city
schools and the county superintendent
Similar action was taken in twenty
different counties last year, and it is
expected that it will continue until every
rural school in the state has thus been
officially visited.
Nicollet County Schools Visited.
The schools visited by Superintendent
Kennedy and Prof. Hess included those
in the townships of Lafayette, New
Sweden, Brighton and Bernadotte.
Discussing conditions in the various
districts, Prof. Hess said there was very
little sentiment expressed by those with
whom they came in contact for the
consolidated system. The reason was
that most of the schools are we'll equipped
as one-room rural schools go, and the
patrons feel they will be called on for
heavy additional expenses, and their
present equipment rendered useless.
During their trip they visited one
consolidated district, No. 43, in La
fayette township.
''They have in that district" said
Prof. Hess, "a good two room building
with two teachers, in which are taught
the eight grades, each teacher having
four grades under her charge, and it
can't help but be admitted they are en-
abled to do much more than twice the
efficient work that could be done by three
teachers were the schools separated in
to three one-room schools, each having
only a few students and each teaching
all Of the eight grades. Specializing in
all lines of work is admitted to be the
order Of the present day, and this ap-
plies to school teaching, as much or
more than in any other line of work.
No teacher can do such efficient work
while handling eight grades as she can
with only four. That goes without
saying. ~
Children Are Happy
I'VE were there when the buses
drove up to take the children to their
homes, and they we're the happiest lot
OF youngsters one wants to see anywhere.
In that school there are now enrolled
between twenty-five and hilty pupils,
while during the winter months l think
each teacher has some thirty. In many
of the one-room schools that we visited
there weren't more than ten present.
It can be easily understood that the
consolidated school is much cheaper to
maintain"
The investigation committees who
visited the rural schools in the twenty
counties in question last week, will meet
today Wednesday, with the State
Board of Education and the State
Superintendent of Schools at the State
Capitol in St. Paul, when the situation
will be discussed and plans outlined for
the future, along the same line of work
to be followed up next year. Supts.
Kennedy and Hess will attend this con-
ference and remain in St. Paul for the
state teachers convention, which opens
Thursday morning and continues until
Saturday afternoon. They will return
home Saturday evening.
WHEAT LAC DEEAy rI1~rrrn