The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-01-31
RURAL SCHOOLS
Material Presented by c. r. Bee
man, Supt. Schools, Williams
town, VT.

The object of this department is tt
create vital interest in the rura
schools. Many things may be said will
which you do not agree, but if they
cause you to think, talk and act for the
improvement of your own school, the OBJ
ject of this department has been at,
! tanned.
twice as many children in the small
town and country schools as there are in
the city schools. Therefore we feel that
this is q subject worthy of your best
thought and attention.
"Some writers and lecturers are in
clined to picture the rural school of to-
day in a decadent and dilapidated condi-
ton. They would lead us to believe that
the country school of our forefathers
was much better school than the coun-
try school of the present. Although
there are few respects in which the
country schools of three or four decades
ago were better than the schools of the
present, the truth seems to be not that
they We're, necessarily, better schools, but
that they were more nearly on par
"In many respects the Goth century
rural school is far in advance of the
schools of the 10th century. The houses
are better and better equipped, the
course of study is richer and more near
" adapted to the needs of child life.
The school term is longer and the adyan
tages of school are more nearly within
the reach of every child. There remain
comparatively few of the old log or sod
scholhouses of pioneer days. Modern
furniture has, in most cases, replaced the
uncomfortable and unhygienic furniture
made by our forefathers. In many cases
there are better blackboards. There are
also more maps, charts and illustrative
material.
"The true basis of complaint is not
that the rural school has not improved,
but that it has not kept and is not keep
ing step with the onward progress of our
civilization. 1t is laggard in the race
with its sister, the city school,
while city school boards have been
willing to expend large sums of money |
for good locations for buildings, in some
instances paying fabulous prices for |
land, the rural committee has been ex
pecting someone to donate land for a |
Site and has been willing to go to an
location in order to save $40 |
or $50 for the district. The city schools
have planted flowers and trees, have
made lawns and watered them, and have
hired jantors for the whole year in order
that these might be properly safeguard
ed.
I'm ntb ba n1 ~ !
rural communities have considered these
things all right for the city, but have
not even given them a thought as being
4 part of the country school equipment.
while the cities are putting thous
ands of dollars into beautiful school
buildings, equipped with every modern
sanitary and comfortable to
he highest degree, the country has
thought itself well equipped if it had a
structure of the box-ear type. Little or
10 thought has been given to lighting
md heating according to modern meth
IDS. Although the city has been using
ingle desks for years and is trying adj
ustable desks and chairs of latest pat
ern, some rural schools seem to think
hat the double desk is the only kind
"The city has invested much thought
nd no little expense in architectural
'eauty of the buildings; the country
Gems to think if the building has been
'ainted red, sufficient money has been
expended. While the city has been ex-
ending money freely in order to install
anitary closets, the country still clings
o the two-closets in one building type.
70 city plans a building without provid-
ng for a system of ventilation. Often a
irge part of the expense is for heating
nd ventilation--some even washing the
ir before forcing it into the school
Doms. Yet, up to the present time. the
riendly cracks have furnished inlets for
lost of the fresh air in the country
,hool buildings.
"While the cities are demanding we'll
lucated and thoroughly trained teach
rs, often not accepting a teacher until
e has proved himself by two or three
ears experience, the country has been
wing these teachers opportunities to
AXE their initial trials in its schools,
nd. if they are successful, il has al
wed them to go into the city, simply
scause the city would pay more than
le country is willing to pay.
while the cities are spending millions
II Fairgrounds and their equipment, the
,untry has done almost nothing along
lis line Up to the present time most
,ople have thought that play has but =
lie beneficial result, that Of furnishing =
.ercise to the individual, and that the II
untry boy and girl get plenty Of exer II
ses in their work. and therefore need III
} play. The country is dominated by III
ork. II has lost. in a large measure, II
e play spirit, and has too often sub
ituted evil and vice, until no longer Is
e country safe moral retreat for boys
ID girls. II
"While the cities, under great disad-
utage. have been teaching nature, the
untry has done little. though surround
BY natures handiwork. While all the
lies worthy Of the name have Libraries
ore or less well equipped. many schools Il
the country have no semblance Of one. =
{ even a dictionary. While the cities .
ng ago realized the Importance Of con
lidstion and concentration 81 forces. in
der that expert supervision might b
lployed. the country i Just beginning
realize that consolidation d a desir-
L. 49, Cor rsr~an rasr54 s--.rrsag-a