The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-03-24
SCHOOL CONSOLIDATED Y.

/ Letters from time to time appear.
ing in The State show that the good
of consolidation of schools is IN
word cooperation. The benefits are
obvious, the objections usually so To-
cal and transient that few work
ing together could solve them. Three
benefits, not so often stressed as
others, may be urged in favor OF
combining weak schools
The one-rOom school with the
over-worked teacher, first OF ALL al
lows too much time for study. That
is what the children are there for,
some one objects. But is there not
necessarily too much hearing time.
not enough teaching time? In othec
words the child is left to study for
himself the greater part OF the time.
Unfortunately this comes about be-
cause the teacher is trying to teach
20 classes OF, say, five grades IN four
studies each, and perhaps combining
Il few classes. OF the 20 daily reci-
tatlons, Johnny figures in only four
or five; he studies during IL pc
rlods while the other children are
being called upon. His instruction
takes up only one-tOurth OF the time.
Ii the teaner is tired, or i'll, the pu-
pills are discouraged. Every bad turn
OF Whatever sort affects adversely
the small school. Why, then. not
study at home and not go to school
comes as an insistent query to the
minds of pupils old enough to think
for themselves. The facility that
they have gained in arithmetic and
in spelling betrays Intellectual star
vation while they were seizing upon
what was most definite in the cours.
and the subjects most readily ac-
quired in the all-study, non-teaching1
system. Penmanship, neatness OF ex-
preston, composition, history, geog
raphy, all suffer blight. Good work
/ is done, OF course, in these small
schools, but the tendency is toward
leaping gaps in the preparation.
/ The larger school, however, has
greater number of teachers. Four in
structors, for example, can keep four
classes at work and teach all the
pupils during the whole time, except
i'll so far as study periods are deemed
advisable. With several teachers in
the school, grade work and speciali-
zation may be employed in accord
ance with modern ideas OF education
This balancing of study and reci-
tation periods in proper proportion,
often overlooked in considering more
prominent benefits, is secured by
| specialization OF work, second great
benefit Of consolidation. No teacher
can be as many faced, or faceted, as
the curriculum. The one-sided teach
/ er must slight some subjects; yet
I this tendency TO concentration is Il
/ good one and is utilized in the grad
cd schools. Not only does combining
reduce the number OF SUBJECTS per
Leacncr, out IL increases the number
/ OI subjects taugAL and So enlarges
me opportunities uI the pupns. \
I teacher Oh music the small school
. '''''' ''s''N, "N'iNIhC0AISp OI Il may
una teacher VI craving IN me
community, but there can DC no con
sistenL development III music ana
| drawing during ten years oil Il child 5
me. nc remarkable Senluses who
/ can tram Il chlId IN ali stages Oh It's
iIIe are sometimes OIL course found
! In the small SCHOOLS, out they do not
usually remain long hidden from the
eyes OF superInIendenLs OIL better
paying schools. 1he cnIIu eauca-
{ ton cannot be the result OF a con-
slstent, consecutive pan. Where five
schools separately, however, can not
ahord to hire music teachers, the
ave together may release a teacher,
part time or whole time, to take up
this work. Therein is the nub OF
consolidation.
The cooperation brought about by
uniting forces does not stop with
providing better teaching within
school and securing greater speciali-
zation and wider range of studies,
the benefits Just seen; it goes fur
ther and brings about greater ex-
penditures for school purposes. Con
solidation means a better building.
1t means sewing of the original ex-
pense, however, in more efficient
work. Usually 1t leads to greater
expenditure than in all the schools
h