The Yale expositor., 1916-05-11
TEACHERS SUMMER
COURSE AT M. A. C.
RURAL SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS
TO BECOME A GREAT FACTOR
IN AGRICULTURAL STUDY.
MUST HAVE RIGHT VIEWPOINT
What Is to be Done Tor Teachers al
the College by the Faculty Dur.
ing June and July.

East Lansing-That there Is
strong movement on foot for re.
| direction Of country life can hardly
be gainsaid at this time when farm
bureaus, cooperative buying and
| selling organizations, rural credit so.
cieties, and many other similar asso.
Citations are being fostered TO bring
| more full 10 the farmer and farmers
wife the just returns Of honest toll.
IL is likewise true that rapid develop.
ment in this direction can hardly be
expected, for an appreciation of the
problems and betterment OF condi.
tons will only come as result OF a
comparatively slow process of edu
cation.
OF all the agencies that make for
education along this line, especially
with the farmers of the future, the
teachers in the country schools of
Michigan stand out as most pTomin.
ent. The requirement of a recent
act of the legislature that agriculture
be taught in rural schools brought
great CONSERVATION to a certain class
OF rural teachers. Many of these
were not country bred and few OF
them had any sympathies with farm
people, let alone any knowledge OF
their problems. None of the teach.
ers felt that they had time for an
added subject.
But gradually the light has been
creeping in on this new problem Of
education. Teachers who are pre-,
pared are finding that the supposed
burden is really lift, that it vital.
ICES the interest of the students in
all other subjects. And 1t is general
~ believed that the rural school
teaching of the future will turn about
agriculture as center. How natural
a development this is for education
in a region primarily agriculturalI
The wonder is that the vision has
been so tardy in coming
TIE teaching Of agriculture has
been carried on in rural schools for
two or three years now, and yet none
Of the teachers feel over.conhdent OF
their ability. In fact it is the teach
ers who have been on the job who
best realize their deficiencies. It IS
freely predicted that during the com.
ing summer several hundred rural
teachers-or Would.be rural teachers
will avail themselves Of the oppor.
tunity which the Michigan Agricui
tural College offers Of taking work in
the summer session, June 18th to
July 18th, designed particularly for
their needs.
The Agricultural College at Lansing
IS admirably fitted to give this instruc. !
ton with its corps OF trained special |
lists along every line as wellas college |
farms, orchards, forest nurseries, !
dairy herds, experimental plots, and |
ether necessary demonstration feat |
ures. The very atmosphere of the |
state college has an invigoTating rur.
al tone. There will be other features |
in addition TO the subject matter pre-
sented which will give added value
to the summer session. Among these |
are lectures dealing with phases OF
rural life, conferences OF rural lead.
ers in boys and girls club work,
courses in rural play, rural organiza-
ton, and many others. In fact the
value of this summer work at NJ. A
C.. is so generally understood that the
State Board of Education has author.
lied the state normals to give credit
for work done at the NJ. A. c. sum.
mer school in agricultural and other
subjects.
Not only will the college offer
special course for rural teachers this
coming summer, but one will also be
given for teachers of agriculture in
county normals. This course will be
distinctly of college grade and viii
consider experiments, apparatus, and
home project work, and other vital
problems to the end that these teach.
ers may better instruct others who
are planning to teach in rural schools.
The whole aim Of both of these cour.
SEES is TO place at the disposal OF
those who feel the need, the splendid
equipment which the state has pro.
vided for agricultural education. The
Agricultural college has special inter-
est in the affairs of rural communities
and is in a position to render val.
liable assistance in the education OF
the boys and girls OF the country.