The true Democrat., 1916-12-23

his own resources and must work
oul a thing for himself In which the
school need no. usurp the duties Of the
home but both can work IN harmony
The ooHntry school of bat a single
room. with ten to thirty pupils. offers
today the Unreasonable privileges OF
au institution where may be developed
genuine working program of home
and school. which together educate
Here may be developed simple rich
and practical course Of study by which
children are trained 10 work and
trained TO think. The ahrpwd old Japa.
Hese said Of MS You have provided
for everything yes. may say quite
everything In your wonderful schoole
except learning Ia work and learning
10 think A we'll known school man
quoted this last winter In the course
Of a stirring speech. and as he came
fram The platform, the writer corncrcd
him with. No one would dispute that
you are "a thinker VINO taught YOU
When ! VAS a boy. iH the country
said he. ! hcrdcd cattle on the hin.
sides Tha, Is where learned to
think
The country school of but a single
room Ia coming tn a, tho present time
for criticism, aad its shortcomings are
being published 10 an unfriendly world
Apologies even are made for it's exist
euee. such az Inertia and stinginess
are the only ytcuses for the little an.
graded country school When this out.
cry had lauRClfpd the unwarranted as.
scrtiou that the people Of the country
are leading dun, uninteresiing lives,
aud that they especially the young
people, were therefore quite miserable
the school Nas blamed OF course you
have been reafing what they say,
terrible thIng that the children
should have no opportunity for educa.
ton. lonely, impoverished districts,
wrctched buildings unclean and neg.
tected surroundings. meager equip
mcnt no library. NO apparatus, no
patent seats bare walls unesthetie
furnishings. poor teaching, uneven
grading. lack OF interest, and so on
You can Oil In The rest
\ sweeping remedy is proposed Con.
solldate, Instead of six inefficient
zehoois Is one pFonouncement have
one efficient school Get just as many
children INTO one building as YOU pos
sibp can. Increase the bulk Of the
school an then grade Il Have one
school la the center Of each six mile
square. transport the children thither
Ia The morning and carry them home
again ia the afternoon
The consolidation craze Is now at
ls height. the remedy for the non.
existent. or at least oYerexaggerated
evils Of The country school The farmer
IL urged 10 insist upon schooling that
Is up to IN rtty standard Aud the city
man quoted before who has made q
lifetime study Of country and city
standards who president OF a school
board and has children Of his own in
school pleads With his board Of eduea'
tion 50 break up It's system into small
units 30 that the children shalt have
opportunities for education 10 be- found
only Ia the uuaraded country schooIl
Two Of the arguments advanced for
consolidation are economy and uni
foTmity As for economy, II usually
costs as much for transportation as 1t
costs "a maintain the district school
bosides the cost Of providing tuition
and the thousand and one expendi
tures IN the way of additional books.
upplies and apparatus for which
grading creates a demand As for
uniformity lessons administered with
n teaspoon. progress measured with a
three neb rule. uniformity is last
resort IN managing great herds of chil.
dren. and pronounced by such edu
Gators ~ pr Eliot the curse Of our
schools
There are other objections While
il ts a comparatively simple matter TO
dccId What is good tor a child In a
small community an increase ~ the
size Of Ihr comnuulty complirates life
a. the extent that il IL hard TO know
what is Tor the best end harder still
go ao It Docs a child learn more in a
big school than In a small school, Can
tgu Teachers teach a chIld more than
efa teacher Besides. there should be-
. deal al comfort tn keeping your chill.
dran 80 near homc that they are safe
ia their own ward "A half hour after