Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-04-04
GIVE THE COUNTRY BOY


GIVE THE COUNTRY BOY
A CHANCE-The machinery
for the consolidation OF Horton
and Dorminey schools with Ash
ton was completed at a meeting
OF patrons of the three at Ashton
Saturday. That long forward
step toward better education in
rural communities is as good as
made. The boys and girls who
struggled for knowledge at the
feet of one over-worked teacher
at the two little schools which
are to be abolished will now have
real chance to learn.
The school term is to be in
creased from six to eight months.
The teaching staff at Ashton is
to be increased from four to six
or seven. With such a school it
possible for each teacher to
Apecialize in the work for which
DE or she is best fitted. Only
Through specialization can best
results be obtained. Teaching is
a highly specialized profession.
A teacher must be an expert in
the line he teaches, else he can
not impart his knowledge with
best results to his pupils. One
teacher may be exceptionally
good at mathematics but not
have the knack of imparting the
essentials of English to child.
One may know a great deal of
. sacivil government and be. able to
effectively teach that subject but
not be expert at geography.
Three teachers is the minimum
number from which efficient re-
suits can be obtained. Less than
that number is just little better
than none at all.
1t is much to be regretted that
the Eureka and Evergreen
schools did not decide to Join the
consolidation movement W h
Ashton. The patrons of those
schools must certainly have been
badly advised. People whose
children go to city schools can
not be wholly in sympathy with
the country girl or boy who must
get the crumbs of learning that
there are. to be cleaned from the
little one-teacher school. They
i can realize only in part the diff.
ference between efficient educa
ton that is TAUGHT and the
meager education that, largely
must be LEARNED by the chile
who attends the school.
That is, at last analysis, tht
great difference between a gooC
school and poor one. in a gooc
school the pupils are taught"
IN poor one they have only til,
opportunity to learn" Excep
tional boys and girls may be abb,
to dig out for themselves a gooC
education without careful advic,
and supervision. The averag,
boy or girl must have the pains
taking aid of teachers who car
drill facts into them. The bril-
liant mind can overcome thu
handicaps OF poor schooling. Blu
public schools are not built 70
the brilliant exceptions; they ar
built and maintained for the av
erage boy and girl. the solid, sub
stantial, minds that must bea
the burden of the great mass O
the worlds work. Progress is no
measured by geniuses. Iesu
Christ knew more than any ma
who has lived since that age, bu
the year One was not compare
BILE in real human progress t
the year 1920 because the Grea
Average Mind had not develope
as it has today.
That theorizing, though.
ahead of the answer to the rea
question. The real question j:
how may we insure that the mex
generation is wiser and bette
able to live we'll than is the pres
ent one? The answer is, educat
the next generation better tina
the last one and better educatio
can be given only by better Ell
ucational institutions, by bette
schools.
1t is not yet too late 70
Eureka and Evergreen to joi
hands with Ashton and Dormin
and Horton and make a rura
Fhool in Ben Hill county tina
Will give the country boy an
girl as good chance in life a
the Fitzgerald boy or girl has
The refusal Of the patrons O
these two schools to join TIL
movement must have been re
suit Of incomplete information
Well wiShers Of the farmer ans