The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-09-02
EDUCATIONAL.
lBy w. L. LARSONO

There are about 100000 children en-
rolled in the public schools of Wiscon-
sin. OF these about 100000, or over
one-third are attending the one-room
country schools. About 10000 are en-
rolled in the State Graded Schools,
which are in reality one class of coun-
try schools.
Out of about 10000 teachers en-
ployed in the public school system of
the state, approximately $500 arc
needed for the one-room country
schools, and nearly 1,1O0 for the state
graded schools.
From these figures we see that about
one-half of the teachers of the state
are employed in country schools and
nearly one-half of the children of Wis
consn are taught by these teachers
As a rule young people who are
brought up in the country make better
country teachers than young people
who are brought up in the city This
is but natural and il is not criticism
of young people of the city. Those
who have lived in the country are fam
iliar with country life, country work,
country conditions and country prob
lens They have learned incidentally
many things about farm implements
and machinery and their uses as well
as about plant and animal life. This
knowledge is a valuable part of their
education. Hence when they get into
the school room as teachers, they can
speak from direct knowledge concern
ing many things which come up in the
regular school work. The person who
has not lived in the country and who
has not had the opportunity to learn
these things may therefore be seriously
handicapped.
In addition to the possession Of this
knowledge a country bred person is
also likely to have a deeper sympathy
with country people. 1t sometimes hap
pens that young people from the city,
when they go into the country to
teach, find life dull because there is a
lack of excitement In some cases they
do not really become members of the
community, but hasten back to town
whenever opportunity offers. Under
such conditions the heart is not in the
work and the best results can not be
obtained. When a person does not feel
"at home" in community, he cannot
render that community the best service.
1t would he unjust, however, to leave
the impression that all young people
from the city are unfit for teaching in
country schools Many of them do cX-
ccllcnt work aud enter heartily into the
activities Of the community in which
they work. Young people in the city
who have been brought up in homes in
which they have learned to worl, are
likely to have the right attitude toward
life under all conditions and can easily
adapt themselves to circumstances
Since Il is true that students from
country homes, As a rule, make The
strongest teachers for country schools,
country people should be Interested in
getting a sufficient number Of their
young people to prepare themselves
for teaching. In order that this may
be done three things are necessary:
/. The local country school must be
a good one so that the children during
their early years may be thoroughly
grounded in the fundamentals. When
children are carelessly taught, they ac-
quire habits which they find it difficult
to overcome in later years and some
times it is even impossible.
2. There should be within a re lson-
able distance a school to which child
rem can go after completing the coun-
try school or the eight grades. This is
being brought about in some localities
by consolidation, in others by 'dab-
fishing first class state graded schools
or union high schools, and still in oth-
crs by sending children away to u high
cr school of some kind where a high
school is not within walking or driy-
ing distance. II is getting to be more
and more the opinion among thinking
people in the country that country
children need more schooling TO pre-
pare them for life than the one-room
country school can possibly give, no
matter how good the teacher may he.
3. The young people after getting q
good general education as n founda-
tion, if they manifest a desire and an
aptitude for teaching, need to get spc-
cial training for the art There Is no
kind of work for which course OF
training Of some kind is not highly de-
sirable Sometimes this course may be
very simple and may consist in an cx,
pcrienced person showing a beginner
how a piece of work is to be done
Teaching, yowcyer, is a complex piece
Of work, and the beginner needs many
suggestions on The best way Of doing
things, If the product Of the schools
the chidrcns minds, is not to be in