The true Democrat., 1916-12-23

been tried before To bring about q
sweeping change is the preroeatiye Of
The mothers The biggest work the
women of the rural districts can do
would be. TO take hold of this problem
and make Of their school the powerful
institution tor good that Il may veil
become Their rallying-cry may we'll
be-. Instead of six inefficient schools.
let us have siA efficient sehools'" VIII
they do IT.
what may IL not mean TO build up a
single SCHOOL, And how shall we go
about it9
II is for the rural school 10 change
entirely It's attitude OF meekly hanging
It's head because Of l,s oldfashioned
simplicity and its lack of bulk and
noise, 10 reclaim boldly the place II
occupied "a the time our country was
laying the foundations Of Its greatness.
when the men Of the generation now
passing we're being educated lie, the
country school remember that the truly
great is ever the simple, that com.
picxiy does not remove glaring faults,
bat uuly serves the purpose Of making
them less noticeable, that for every
one inherent fault 10 be found In the
rural school the graded school has two
70 match II
II is not enough merely 10 pay for
good schools The requisites are;
anitary practical building. with pleas.
ant surroundings a school director who
nstalls the best teacher he can pos
sibly find. aud tells her that her sole
duty is to consider the good OF the
children. mothers and fathers who
make II their duty 10 know wha, In
going on IN the school, what Ia being
taught and how IL Is being taught, and
TO see that the same principles OF
training aud charaeterforming are car
ried on In the school as they should be
Ia the home. that che tao are not Al
cross. purposes. a small group OF chill
dren teacher who knows the miud
Of the child. Sh0 appreciates the tFe-
mendous possibilities Of her high call.
iBg. and whose attitude towards her
charges Is. in the words Of the grand
old boston schoolmaster, There are
yeur books. but II did nothing more
than come here day after day and
teach you " hat IL between their covers,
should be very far from doing my
duty as a teacher
The charges concerning ugly, nn'
sanitary surroundings can be promptly
remedled by an outlay Of money 'rihIng
m comparison with the cost Of trans.
porting the ehildren 10 distan, build.
ing. Attend 10 such comparatively
simple matters as providing sanitary
buildings and a cseditahle school yard,
and make arrangements for keeping
all so clean that inspiration reaches
thence 10 the occupants
Insist upon itemiscd statements from
the school officials All too frequently
the taxpayers have no real knowledge
of how their money In spent A con
solida,ed school tn which | am inter
ested costs s40o per pupil this year, or
ten times tho average cost in the state,
yet the taxpayers did not know the
extent 20 which they we're being robbed
until told them They grumbled over
the high tax, hut hesiiaicd to call the
school board 70 account hut II the
money is wisely spent. it Ia only an
occasional district that Will feel the
weight of increased cost In providing
clean and wholesome surroundings for
their children
The next aud really vital element ls
the teacher Get a capable one and
pas her enough that she will not be
forced to 30 where she can act more.
Get 4 teacher who knows how 80 work
aud how to inspire In others u willing
ness 20 work She must have thor.
ough elementary education IN the beet
sense al the tefm A college or normal
diploma Is good to have bul II hy ne
means guarantees the holders ability
to teach reading aud arithmetic Don't
ALLOW the teachers agency to palm Of
on sou the inefficient graduate Of last
years class privately graded as all
right to teach Ia a country SCHOOL,"
The best Is none ton good Ia teach a
country school
What shall the teacher teach our
grandparents said. reading writing and
arithmetic They would have included
the habit of work could they have fore
seen a day when this would noi be-
taken for granted Compelled TO choose