The Springdale news. [volume] (Springdale, Ark.) 1887-1990, 1918-12-13
Springdale. Ark. Friday Dec. 10, 1918
THE RURAL SCHOOL PROBLEM.

THE RURAL SCHOOL PROBLEM.
The one rural school problem is
and has been-How to obtain for the
country youth the same educational
facilities as that afforded the more
fortunate city child.
Much has been done by our legis-
latures. and with the adoption Of the
proposed new constitution, another
long step of advancement will be
taken for the rural schools, and this IS
-haps the last step that can rea-
nably be taken By legislation
~ ny voter in Arkansas should care
fplg consider Article No. Ia OF the
proposed new constitution and what
IL means TO his children and even his
children's children before he goes on
record as voting against the doeu-
ment
But with the adoption Of the new
constitution the rural school problem
still remains, and the only road to
its solution is through cooperation
and consolidation. The rural dis
tricts, sparsgfy settled and with low
er property value. can never secure
the same educational advantages
through taxation as those of the
wealthy eitg, but it can be done
through proper cooperation and CON
solidation of school districts
Owing To the geographical situation
there has always been one objection
e consolidating three or four dis-
seiets into one hig school community
the laae distance some Of ne stu
dents wot'd have Il 90 t. school.
This objection ear easily BE- removed
by employing some one to transport
the school children from their homes
to centrally located school each
morning and return them again to
their homes in the afternoon.
Tire extra expense of transporting
the children to and from school can
be met by the savings in teachers
salaries over what it would cost to
maintain a school in each of the dis
tricts represented in the consolidation
1t is not so much a matter of how
many students teacher can instruct
as il is a matter of how many class
es he can conduct efficiently, anc
that is governed solely by his ability
as a teacher and the number of grades
each teacher is required to handle
and through consolidation, teacher
would be consigned to two or thre,
grades instead of the eight grades as
now required. This would enabl,
the school board to select teachers
mere efficiently and according 10 the
work they could handle-a place foi
each teacher and each teacher in his
place.
In this connection we should note
that the teacher problem is no small
phase Of the big rural problem. The
school boards have for some time
realized the serious shortage OF
teachers and the extreme difficulty
Of scuring competent teachers for
tGeir respective schools. This con-
aition has come about through the
opportunities offered by the Civil
Service and business in the way of
more remunerative compensation for
their services than they were able
to secure in the teaching profession
clerkships offering even better sal
aries than the teachers were able to
secure in their chosen profession.
There is only one way to meet this
part Of cur problem. and that is by
offering all possible encouragement
for the teacher TO remain in his chos-
en- field Of duty by offering better
salary Under the present system,
the boards Of education are paying
shair teachers all they can afford and
he only way they can meet this pro-
blem is through consolidation.
An example of what cooperative
consolidation can do for school COM
munities. even on small basis is
shown by report recently made by
oar State Superintendent of Public IN
straction: Two small districts con
vsnientiy adjoining could neither en-
ploy a teacher for more than three
months of the year, consequently the
school boards of these districts de-
eided to cooperate by employing 4
teacher for six months-three months
"a Be taught in one district and three
months in the other and giving the
children Of each district the privilege
q attending both schools,
Thus By cooperation these schools
boards solved the dual problem of
giving their children the privilege OF
d good school, and that of employ
iHg an efficient teacher that could
not have been secured by either Of
the districts alone to teach three