The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-10-24
THE RURAL SCHOOL TERM.


In recent issue eff the Progressive
Farmer, which was also designated as
the Education Special, Clarence Poe.
its editor, presented one of the most
fearless, logical and eloquent pleas
ever made for a longer school term
for the rural children of the South
And as his appeal for this essential
educational reform is also of vital in
terest to the entire country, it has
been issued by the United States bu
reau of education as one of its bulle-
tins in the nationwide campaign that
it is waging for better rural schools.
I'VE must give the boys and girls
of the rural South longer school
terms" declares Mr.. Poe-'and we
must do this no matter what it costs
in time, effort or money. Not only IS
it true that in no other section of the
United States are the people doing so
little for their boys and girls as we
are doing; not only is it true that
probably no country in Christendom
except Russia is doing so little for its
boys and girls as we in the South are
doing. but the shameful fact is that
when the writer was in Japan, he
found even that so-called heather
country aroused to the Importance of
education and giving its country boys
and girls twice as long a term as we
are giving ours-and with compulsory
attendance.
Simply to stir US up and shame us
into action. we are reprinting the table
ton, showing the number of days
schooling received by the average
child in each state in 1910. We of the
South have made gratifying progress
since then, to be sure, but yet all too
little. Your boys and girls. kind read
er, your boys and girls here in North
Carolina who were getting only fifty
one days average in 1910, South Caro-
lina's with fifty days, Virginia's with
fifty eight, and Georgia's with sixty
two-these boys and girls of ours
must face the competition of boys and
girls from Massachusetts who were
getting 131 days average, from Ohio
who were getting 113. from Illinois
who were getting los, and from Wash
ington who were getting 107, and so
on down the line. Are you willing
simply in order to save a few pennies
to send your boys and girls out into
life less we'll equipped than their COM
petitors?
Nor can we lay the Gathering unc-
ton to our souls that in proportion
to our means we of the South are
doing as well as people of the other
states are doing. We are not
And the competition, pointed out by
Mr. Poe, that the rural school children
of the South have to meet because of
the longer school term that is en-
joyed by the country boys and girls
in some of the eastern and northern
states, is no more severe, and no more
of a handicap, perhaps not such a
heavy one, as is the competition which
is thrust on the rural school children
in every state, Kansas included, be-
cause of the much longer school term
of which the boys and girls of the
cities have the advantage.
In every state there is a wide dis
parity between the length of the city
and the rural school terms, and so in
every state there is a crying need that
the rural school terms be heightened,
in order that the boys and girls of the
| country can have at least as good
educational facilities and opportun-
tiles in this important respect as have
the girls and boys of the cities.