The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1919-11-06
BETTER RURAL SCHOOLS

In the state wide drive for Better
Rural Schools, the teachers and dis.
trici officers meetings in Bon Homme
county were held on Wednesday of
this week. A number of speakers.
prominent in school work. are being
sent out by the state department to
aelp in agitating this great problem.
Several meetings were held in this
county Oil that day, the one for this
mart of the county being held in the
high schoo! assembly room, A num-
Ger of district officers and teachers
from n~eighboring districts were pres
ent. The two outside speakers who
delivered short addresses on the sub.
ject were Mrs. Butterffeld of Parker
aud Mr., j. B. Arp of Minneapolis.
Mrs. Battlefield is a teacher of
many years experience. Her talk
was short and pithy and she ilIustrat-
ed it with a chart filled with dIa.
grams and statistics regarding the
comparative status of city and rural
| oShooies iIiCSC JOWEi llSG tU6 rufdl
hools are low in attendance and are
not up to the standard, due to poor
| equipment, low rate of taxation for
funds. end work which is not prac-
tical for farm boys and girls. The
purpose of this drive is to awaken a
continent for remedying these condi-
lions. The plans for Improvement
include this statewide campaign, state
bid for schools, teachers especially
trained for rural schools. practical
courses for country boys and girls,
presented in farm terms, and a rota-
tion of work. This rotation. which
would cover four years, would give
.taas= c crops, tlo making of things.
study of live stock, and study of soils.
Eventually this would be equivalent
to a high school curse The aim in
educating is to combine 1.-THE man
who knows a lot but can't do things
and the man who has ability to do
but doesn't know what to do" and
make a really efficient citizen.
Mr.. Arp spoke on DEMOCRACY in
School," He is at present from Min
neapoiis but was located for many
years as teacher and county superin.
tendent in Jackson county, Minnesota.
He spoke with enthusiasm on his
subject and it was an address on big
facts in terms easily understood by
the pupils in his audience. The pres
ent inequality in the conditions of ru-
raj and city schoois does not accord
with true democracy. The prosperity
Of this agricultural state has increas-
ed rapidly, but the expenditures on
schools and their improvement have
cot kept pace with it. He compared
the work which is required Of the city
teacher with that of tbs rural teach.
er, with her many classes, from 20
to 80 every day. The tendency is
toward consolidated schools, which is
the best solution Of the problem. On
this he spoke with authority for he
himself has organized a number of
consolidated schoe,s in hia.own coun.
ty, some Of them nov equal to the
best high schools, and he has also as.
sisted an organizing many in this
state. The consolidated school, he
says. would mean more teachers. less
classes g teacher. enabling her to
be more efficient and give more per-
sonal help. larger classes, and thus
create interest onsthe part Of the
pupiis, and lastly. would give the
child high school work where he
would also be at home and have home
protection For the big difficulty.
that Of transportation. he suggested
the use Of auto trucks which he said
had been used in his county. often the
es=sssr rs.sEof the winter. AS did
Mrs. Butterfield. he urged the intro-
|ductipn Of practical scientific courses
which every farm child. would have
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