Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-04-19
THE FUTURE OF
THE WuLMAR
SCHOOLS
BY Supt. G. A. FOSTER

In attempting to discuss the future
Of the Willmar schools, it is necessary
to keep in mind the trend of modern
education in the United States and
Minnesota, as we'll as the recent his
tory Of our own school.
During the past six or eight years,
great changes have taken place loc>
ally, and in the stare and natio-l at
large. The Willmar schools have in
troduced courses in industrial sub
jects, and the training of teachers Tor
the rural schools While these chang,
es have been taking place, the city
and school population have been III
creasing at somewhat uniform rate. |
Relative to the growth in schoo. pop
ulatiOn for the future may be consld~ j!
cred several factors which are almost
sure to make a large school pOpula. |
ton. both in the grades and n tie |
high school, but more particularly III |
the upper grades and high school. |
Such fac+@r, as the general growth |
in population. both in the city and IN |
the rural districts, may be readily
comprehended. But. there are other
factors which will undoubtedly have !
as great effects upon the numbers who
attend school as this one of general
growth of population. First and fore
School Laws Increase Attendance.
most among these other factors is the |
compulsory attendance law which re-
quires that every child, between the |
ages of eight and sixteen years, shall
attend school every day Of the school
year unless properly excused by the
School Board. This law tends TO-
wards keeping pupils in the schools
through the sixth. seventh and eighth |
grades directly. But, because of this
law, many pupils who are thus en-
forced to complete the eighth grade
sue courses in the high school. This
law is already showing its force and,
no doubt, as the communities become
accustomed to the workings of the
law, it will produce greater results.
The Alumni influence.
Another factor, which may not be
thought of at first, is the fact that IN
every high school community there
grows up a large number of former
graduates who in their turn influence
the younger generations to attend
high school in greater numbers than
> ever before. In a community where
the parents were not high school
graduates, and where there were no
former graduates in the family, the
children are inclined towards enter
ing business at an earlier age and do
not see the value of high school train
ing. Often times the parents are op-
posed to this training and actually
exert a considerable influence towards
keeping them from continuing tn cir
education beyond the grammar
grades. In connection with this fact
of a large alumni population, which
grows up in each community, cOmpe-
tition becomes more severe for the
more desirable occupations and the
pupils who leave school before COM
pleting the high school course find
that they are at decided disadvan-
tage when applying for these posi-
tiOns.
Training Teachers.
In recent years girls who have want
ed to teach have found it necessary
to take the high school course be-
fore they can receive a certificate to
teach, whereas but a few years ago
it was nothing uncommon for girls tn
teachers examination and enter ut
once into the teaching profession
This last requirement by the State
has already had it's effect upon the
numbers attending high school and
at the present time, the law is SC
strict that it is almost compulsory tt
complete the equivalent of high
school course before taking a profes
sional years work. The colleges Of
law, pharmacy and even the more
modern business colleges are insist
ing upon the equivalent of higf
school course, before they will enrol
students.
Children Move In.
The fact that the growth Of a city
like WiImar is made up, to consid
cradle degree, Of retired farmers
+ sometimes seems to preclude the ide;
of growth in the school population
This may be true to some extent but
as matter of fact, large numbe
of these farmers retire and move t
town for the sole purpose of findirl
better facilities for their children