The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1917-11-29
INTERESTING SCHOOL
BOARD CONVENTION

The fourth annual convention of
school board members for Medina coun
ty was held at the Princess theater,
Medina, Saturday. Nov. "a, and, while
this meeting was better attended than
any held previously, there should have
been twice as many school board men,
bers present.
Seldom is it the privilege of any
one interested in education to hear
ADLER or more interesting addresses
than those delivered by Dean Vivian,
Prof. w. E. Stewart and Henry Will
Dean Miuians took for his subject,
MI s job fcr lliio ch00ls;,as
Ne showed that the changes IN affairs
which have developed during the past
few years have thrown upon the school
many new tasks. The old idea that
school is a preparation for life has
given place to the more modern one
that school is life, and that conditions
in school must approach as nearly to
those which will be met with in later
life as possible.
The child must be made acquainted
with his environment and his duties as
a citizen, not simply trained in for
eign languages and higher mathemat-
les.
He strongly emphasized the neces-
sity for thoroughly trained teachers of
agriculture, and stated that much of
the poor opinion held among farmers
as to the value of teaching agriculture
is due to poor training of teachers,
and lack of deiniteness in teaching the
subject. The school which devotes
one semester to hasty survey of the
whole field of agriculture, will ac-
complish but little. He asked for
four-year course in this subject, CIV
ing special attention each year to some
specific branch of farming, the sub
incts to be emphasized depending upon
the needs of the various communities.
He. next turned his attention to the
Smith Hughes law, which provides.
among other things. national aid in
the payment of teachers of agricul-
ture. The conditions under which this
aid can be secured are about as fol-
lows:
First a four year course OF study
in agriculture must be offered such,
that. each boy taking this course must
devote at leasttwo double periods daily
to agriculture and allied sciences. Sec
ond. each year every student must car
ry out some home project under the
supervision of the teacher, said pro-
iect to cover some complete task, like
the raising of field of corn, etc.
Third, each agriculture teacher must
be a graduate Of a 4-year course in
agriculture in some agricultural col
lege of recognized standing. Fourth,
said teacher must be emploved twelve
months in the year. with four weeks
of for vacation. Fifth the equip
ment for the teaching of agriculture
must he approved bv the inspector,
and will cost about $3.50. Sixth. the
course of study must be approved bv
the state hoard of education. Seventh.
the teacher whose salary is paid by
the government, must devote all his
time to teaching agriculture. or, if he
does teach some other branches. he
will be Maid according to the time he
devotes to teaching agriculture.
Dr. Vivian stated that after January
1. 1918. the entire salary Of agriculture
teachers. who qualify as above stated.
will be paid by the national govern
ment. and at least 80 per cent. of the
salary in 1918.
There are provisions in the law pro-
viding for the same arrangements to
he made for teachers of home econom-
les. but the plans for this have not
yet been well worked out.
Prof. w. F. Stewart gave his per-
sonal experiences in conducting four
wear course in agriculture at Tracy,
Minnesota. He showed what can be
done in Ohio under the new law. bv
explaining what has been accomplished
in the northwest.
At the morning session Henry G.
Williams smoke eloduentfy on the "Rur
al life Problem" and in the afternoon
on Iteration" .s Raj