Smyrna times., 1916-11-08
RURAL AND TOWN SCHOOLS
BROUGHT IN COMPARISON
DIR. WAGNER, STATE COMMIS-
SIONER OF EDUCATION, SPEAKS
OF Town Schools VS.. Rural Schools,
and Recommends Change in Tax
System at Coming Legislature

" iOWn OCnooiS vs. Rural SchOoIS,
and Recommends Change in Tax
System at Coming Legislature
In his report to the General Assem-
bly, in January, Charles A. Wagner,
state commissioner of education, will
say: There is not the slightest wish
to praise or to extol one kind of school
and to condemn or to run down the
other. Differences exists. In study
ing conditions, these differences come
to the front and stand out or are con-
spicuous. 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 motives of the persons
affected to ponder the facts and to
adopt the necessary remedies. Parti-
sans 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 knows of
pupil who has completed 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 ex-
ceptiOnally bright rural puniI. Usually
it is the latter fact alone that is
shown. AS soon as all the pupils of
both classes of schools are considered,
there can be no doubt in which kind
of school the child gets the better
chances Therefore, which is the bet
ter school. measured in terms of what
all the children are accomplishing?
DR.. Wagner Makes Comparison
IF the illustration be restricted 70 the school
| ages to IA inclusive, the following will appear
! Ages and s. the only ages at which the rural
| schools show up better in any respect. Number
| of pupils q and s. enrOlled-Rura schools 2 495:
| inoorpora ed (townl scho Is 1,6OS number of
! pupils accelerated, or ahead at grade expect d.
rural schools, 249; town, 1873. Percentage or grade
| expected Rural, 10: town, S4. Pupi in normal
or in grade expected-Rural, $50; town, 7.4O.
| Percentage in grade expected-kural, 80; town,
| 46. PUPILS retarded or behind grade expe, ted
| Rural, 1896; town 730 Percentage behind grade
| expected-Rural, Sc; town, As. That is, although
at these ages the rural schools show ten per cent
| of pupils ahead of the grade expected while the
| town schools show only S.4 per cent. yet in the
two other items the town schools show marked
| superiority, having much larger percentage in
the normal g. ade, and a much smaller percent
| age behind the expected grade. The comparison
for the ages to IA inclusive makes the differ
| Of m orGa tor huts m ho "a
namely, in favor of the town schools: Pupils
enrolled (9-l4)-Rural, 6,315: town, 1889 Pupils
accelerated or ahead Of grade expected-Rural.
2S9; town, 1863. Percentage ahead OF grade eX-
pected-RuTal, As; town, 81. Range of aceeler-
alton in school yeaTs-Rural, to years; town,
to years. Pupils in normal or in expected
grade-Rural, O56; town, $40. Percentage OF
pupils in expected grade-Rural 100; town, 29.5
Pupils retarded or behind expect grade Rural
grade-Rural, 79.0: town, 620 Range of retard-
alton in school yeGrs-Rural, 10 8 years town,
| to years Average retaTdaiiOn per pupil
Rural, 81 years; town, 1.9 years
Remedy is Change School Tax System
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 beyond ID
were shown. the results would be still
more pronouncedly in favor of the
town schools; the rural schools con-
duct no grades beyond the eighth,
hence a comparison for those ages
might seem Unfair. The conclusion
is unavoidable however, that the
child's chances to get the teaching
he needs and can best profit by are fal
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 olt
refrain, and demands a school tai
system which requires the payment O.
school taxes from all in proportion tc
the ability to pay taxes, as the all
important change in the system if tn
} opportunities of all the children ar
! to be bettered. "