The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1921-12-08
A SQUARE DEAL TO THE COUNTRY
CHILD

A recent communication of Frank W. Rob-
erts, Woodwork, to the News has brought
much serious thought in several parts of the
county in regard to the education of the chill
dren Of the rural district and the conviction is
being driven home that the children Of the
rural districts are not getting the square deal
they deserve in the development of the system
of education.
While no child is denied an education IN Ke-
nosha county it is certain that the opportuni-
ties are by no means equal and some plan for
the extension Of education in Kenosha county,
outside the city must be worked out and
worked out speedily if the children of the rural
districts are to have fair deal with those of
the cities.
The educational program Of Kenosha county
is probably ahead of the educational program
of the average rural school in the country but
this is not the kind of progress that Kenosha
county wants. Children in the rural, districts
must be given as nearly equal opportunity with
the children of the city districts as is possible.
This means consolidation Of schools, building
of township high schools and the advancement
of the grade schools to point where they will
be in keeping with city schools. 1t means the
lengthening out of the school year so that the
child in the rural district will be assured of at
least nine months of schooling every year. It
means the proper construction of buildings so
that every district will have Superior
School," This superior school, is one with
modern equipment for the defense of the chill
dren against bad sanitary conditions and mod
ern provision for the right kind of teaching.
The drift from the country to the city is one
that is being to a great extent brought about
by the fact that the city offers better educa-
tional advantages for the children. Men and
tional advantages for the children Men and wo-
men who believe that the education Of their chill
dren is paramount problem are not going to
stay on the farm unless farming communities
offer proper educational advantages.
Schools have not had the consideration they
should have in Kenosha county. Undergrad
county superintendent have battled along as
best they could with wonderful ideas and ideals
for better schools only to find lack of support
among the men who dictate school policies.
Two-thirds of the three hundred thousand
school buildings in the United States are one
room buildings, according to information given
out in Washington These one-room buildings.
relic Of bygone years, are practically all in
the rural districts You know where a score
of them are in Kenosha county. The average
expenditure each~year for the education of the
city child is $40.59 and for the rural child is
$23.91. Urban schools are open on an average
of 1872 days in year while those in the rural
districts average only 142 days. The cost of
teachers in the urban schools averages 1854 a
year as against $479 in the rural schools.
Of course Kenosha county may have schools
where costs are higher than the average but
we do not take it that the people of the rural
districts of Kenosha county want to be in a
class with the mountain countries of Kentucky
and Missouri.
Kenosha county. people are high grade peo-
pie They came from pioneer families who be-
ieved in the best in education and the time has
come for the sons and daughters of these pion-
GERS to keep up the traditions of the fathers.
Kenosha schools should be re-organized with
view Of giving the country school boy and girl
square deal. It means spending some money.
possibly good deal of money but the reputa-
ton OF Kenosha county demands that it be
spent 1t Is not going to be money wasted
but the best possible investment that can be
made for Kenosha county.
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