The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-05-29
NOTHIN MUST
PREVENT EDUCATION

Constitution knows nothing about an
American Public School system. Not
until close to Civil War days did all
the states actually 60 into the bust
ness Of supporting public schools. OF
the state constitutions framed by
1880, six made no reference to edu-
cation and in the others the mention
was very brief and indefinite. Nothing
even approaching state system or
series Of systems existed. Nine COL
leges, few private secondary schools
and number of private and church
schools offering some elementary
school instruction of an Indifferent
character constituted the educational
resources Of the nation. In the rural
districts where the greatest number of
people then lived, there were practi-
cally no schools Of any kind, and in
cities and towns ignorance, vagrancy
and pauperism went hand in hand.
DR.. Cubberly is authority for trac-
ing the development of our public
schools. He notes the influence of the
early land grants and still points out
some little time elapsed however be-
fore the demand for system Of public
schools to supplant and in part to dis
place the private charity and church
schools of the time made itself felt.
The simple agricultural life, the hon.
ogeneity Of the people, the isolation
and independence of the villages, the
hard life of that time and absence of
important political questions to be
settled at the polls, made the need for
schools and learning relatively q nil
nor one. 1t was not until 1920 that
the development of manufacturing,
the extension of manhood suffrage, the
action of labor unions, the rise of the
many humanitation movements and
the introduction of the Lancastrian
system of instruction began to awake
demand for public tax supported
schools under the authority and partial
support of the state. The charity
school conception of education, under
which free tuition was to be provided
for children of the deserving poor;
some aid from the public purse; and
the. early aristocratic idea that edu-
cation was an individual rather than
public matter; these all had to be
met and eliminated. Gradually, how
ever, the conception of education as a
state function has grown and state
after state began to provide for tax
supported schools. And so it is not
az oA SuA PAASAHS W llIlu IL Is CNc Clues
that have been taking the lead in ed
ucational movements, rather than the
states attempting to bring it's entirely
up to high standard.
Many of the cities began school at
about the same time Cincinnati, 1888:
Chicago, 1880; Pittsburg, 1885; New
York, 1912; Washington did not free
itself from the pauper school idea un-
til 1874. In most Of the smaller cities
and villages free public schools were
not established until they were 80 or
dered by the school law of the state. :.
And so | say the first handicap is
found in the origin of our schools
the conception that had to be overcome
that education was something. not a
thing in itself but connected with relig-
ion; second, that it was an aristocratic
thing, and thirdly that it was a char
ity. -.-ss
However, we have at the present
time, in theory. a decidedly bettered
conception of education: Today it is
the settled conviction Of the people Of
our different states that the provision
OF liberal education system (free)
for the children Of the state is one Of
the important duties of the state, and
0AA0e 00SA CuOC0ClOIl COHGKlOut0S very
markedly to the moral uplift of the
people to civic virtue, and to increas-
ed economic returns to the state. We
OF today conceive Of free public edu-
cation as birthright of the child on
the one hand, and as an exercise of
the states inheritant to self-preserva-
ton and Improvement on the other.
The children of today are the voters
NJ fnnnnNS1r0Vay o~1 -
for their duties is the opportunity of
the state. Each new generation of
voters so prepared should in turn
stand for an enlarged conception as to
the need for purpose, hope and func-
ton of public education. In no other
country have the people worked out
TEN of education good enough for rich
and poor alike, and with opportunity
for all, and in no other country have
the results shown to better advan-
tage in the general intelligence, poise,
good judgment and productive capac-
ity Of the people.
And SO we have our schools at last
approaching free, publicly supported
system. But we must take one COM
plete step further. It is not enough
to say that it is provided for. that the
children Of all people shall have the
right of attendance upon the schools;
it is necessary that the children Of all
people shall of compulsion be made to
attend. We do have school laws that
penalize non-attendance. But there
must be developed in every community
thru the opinions of publicly minded
representative men and women, a
sentiment which shall maintain these
laws.
The second handicap of the public
schools Of America is found in it's
financial conditions. You have read
sufficient statistics Of the teachers
wages in America so that no extended