The Holly chieftain., 1920-04-22
Enhances the Educational
Standard.
GREATER OPPORTUNITY
FOR PUPIL At LOWER COST
Adds to Both Facility and Scope
Of Work at . Minimum Expense
Eliminates Much Waste and
Increases Efficiency Of Force.

country child something like equal
rights with the city child, in the
matter of educational advantages,
had its beginning in the state of
Massachusetts, as early as 1869, and
as q movement has become known
as the Consolidation Movement"
Little use was made of the law in
Massachusetts, until after the first
abolition of the district system,
and it was not until about 1890 that
the consolidation of schools began
to make marked headway in that
state. Since then under the vari-
GUS consolidation laws of different
states much progress had been
made not only in Massachusetts
but in states of the middle west and
now the western states threaten to
establish the best plan for school
consolidation, based as it were on
the experience of the pioneer states
in the movement.
The eastern states have used the
township as the unit for the con-
solidation of schools. This plan
was very workable because under
the township plan all rural schools
are under the supervision of two
officials township trustee and
county superintendent Of schools).
In states where school districts
prevail and where little attempt
has been made toward centraliza-
tion or uniformity in school man
agement the plan for school cOnsOl
idation admits of more skill in or.
ganization due to the various indie
pendent centers that are to be con-
sOlidated.
The plan for school consolidation
very often meets with most oppOsi-
tiOn among the people whom the
plan will benefit most, namely the
rural folks. One of the very first
requirements toward successful
school consolidation is a center that
offers to the people the convenienc.
es of 10th century life. This center
should be, town or village with
modern improvements, it should be
q center that is so organized as to
attract outside attention and thus
be the better enabled to offer
through the public schools, more
progressive environment for the
rural people. On first mention of
school consolidation the rural
school patron often makes Objec-
tion on the ground that the town
or larger district is making an at
tempt to take from his community
the educational center (little red
schOOlhOuse-that tradition tells
him has ever been in the district.
He often argues that property in
the particular district to be cOnsOl.
idated will depreciate in value, that
he dislikes to send his children SO
far from home, that the children
must leave home at an earlier hour
than formerly, and lastly that the
rural school in his community is
doing an effective work and that
from an educational standpoint
there is no need of school cOnsOli-
datiOn. The wise school official
must agree that the objections
stated are but natural ones and
are objections that must be met in
a community where consolidation
is attempted. In the first case the
town or village school is not the
unit that consolidation primarily
wishes to serve. The town and city
school has first pick of well train
ed, enthusiastic school teachers
The rural school too often is forced
to take the inefficient teacher
whose qualifications will not admit
of a position in well graded
school system. When this is the
case are we giving in matters OF
education equal advantages to all
our people? The town and city
schools today in Colorado are well
organized. AS far as school man.
agement is concerned they will be
little affected by consolidation.
their only change will be the in.
corporation of large unit. The
town schools today are well grad
ed as far as classes are concerned.
One teacher is put in charge OF a
single class-an advantage that the
rural school does not have and q
defect in our educational system.
Other objections stated can be cas-
lily removed by the school authori-
ties of the consolidated district,
whose duty it is to provide suit
able drivers, proper cOnveyances
and reasonable routes. The last
objection (the rural school Is etf.
cient) is the one hardest to meet:
Who passes on the merits OF
our rural schools today? Are they
properly supervised? Do experts
visit and inspect our rural schools
as they do the schools Of our cities
and towns? They do not and the