Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1921-04-06

| "oihCu a HdiuSulp anu du injustice
upon the school townships in that i,
compelled them to pay out hundreds OF
dollars of tuition money for pupils
who were inadequately prepared and
could not possibly derive any benefits
from money thus spent. AS the ex-
aminations are now conducted, in cen
trail points under strict supervision
we are sure that only those who are
adequately prepared will pass the ex-
aminations. And thousands of dollars
are thus saved annually to the var
ious township school boards which
would otherwise have been wasted
on incompetent and i'll prepared stu
dents.
1t might be of interest to this con-
vention, perhaps, to know that the
boys and girls in the rural schools in
the county pay out more than $4,000
each year for school textbooks. We
took pains sometime ago, through this
office, to make an investigation of
the prices of the books in use in our
rural. schools as furnished by the
book companies, according to the con-
tracts made with the various SHOOT
townships in the summer of 1919. We
compared these prices to the prices
that are now asked for these same
books in localities where no such con-
tracts exist. We find that there is a
difference of nearly thirty per cent
in the wholesale prices Of rural school
| books, furnished to Delaware County,
as compared to the prices elsewhere.
We have all the data in our office
and you will probably be surprised
to learn that this means a saving
Of over $1,000 a year to the parents
Of these children.
My report would be incomplete if
I neglected to discuss the subject of
Standardization of rural schools. There
are those who would make light of
this work, who hold that consolidation
is the only solution of the rural school
problem. Whatsoever may be the
merits or the dement's of consolida-
ton and whatsoever may be the ulti-
mate outcome of the rural school pro-
blem, this much is certain-we cannot
afford to neglect the rural schoof
because at some time in the distant
and dim future it may perhaps become
part of a consolidated system.
believe that it is the birthright of
every child Of Iowa's rural schools t.
have every possible advantage educa-
tionally that a rural school district
can reasonably afford to give. I am
heartily in sympathy with the stand
ardization movement because it gives
financial aid and moral encourage
ment to the teachers and directors
of the standard schools. The state of
Iowa paid $3.50 to the rural schools
of Delaware County during the past
year. This money was all spent di-
rectly in the twenty-one schools to
which it was given. A similar amount,
perhaps little more, will be paid
to our county this school year. While
the money has not always worked
the transformation of the school for
which we had planned and hoped,
this is certain, in most cases, it has
come as a very welcome help to the
director and teacher of the school.
1t has brought needed equipment, i'm
proved the school building and prem
ises and encouraged the teacher. AL
ready, many of our teachers are in,
quiring for positions in standardized
school which means that that type of
school will be able to get the services
of the choicest teachers of the cOun-
ty. The moral and intellectual stand
ards of such schools will be material
ly raised, the equipment increased and
the school plant itself improved and
better kept. AS we said before, in
some cases the directors have found
it impossible to make all the improve
ments suggested. However, the money
was theirs to be apportioned to the
schools and felt that l was serving
the best interests of the school pa
irons, the taxpayers and the school
children if secured for our schools
a rightful share of the standardized
ton fund. That standardization is pop
ular is born out by the fact that al
ready more schools, than we can hope
to accommodate, have applied for stand
ardiZatiOn, and in many other dis
tricts teacher and director are work.
ing hand in hand to bring up the
schools to the point of efficiency where
they too may be included. Further
more the example of the standardized
school has been wonderful influence
in our rural district in fostering better
school spirit, higher ideals and an
increased effort on the part of teach
ers and pupils of adjoining districts.
In order to stimulate an interest
in spelling work, which seemed to need
attention more than any rural school
subject, county wide spelling con-
test was worked out two years ago.
Under this plan the teachers are in
structed to hold spelling matches in
their respective schools, select the
winners and send them to the township
spelling contest held in the early part
of spring. The winners of the town.
ship spelling contests are awarded
medals and compete for final honors
in the county contest which is con-
Quoted in connection with the eighth
grade graduation exercises. Since the
of this contest spelling
work the spelling of our boys and
girls in the rural schools shows a
marked improvement. The winner Of
ast years county contest, who was
only a seventh grade pupil, met in
with the winners from
other counties of the state in Des !:
Voines last Aupust and won sixth |: