River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1922-09-07
PRIDE IN SCHOOLS
Dominant Feeling Among Settlers
in Western Canada.
Despite "Newness" Of the Country,
There Are No Better Institutions
OF Learning Anywhere.


There is frequently hesitation ex-
pressed by those whose minds are
almost made up to move to the agri-
cultural lands OF Western Canada,
that the children will not enjoy the
school privileges afforded them In
their present surroundings. This Is a
reasonable doubt. The country Is new.
1t is within the memory Of many who
will read this that the bison roamed
these prairies at will, that there were
no railroads, no settlements beyond
that CT some of the Hudson Bay posts.
a few courageous ranchmen and In
dams. 1t was country of unknown
quantity. 1t Is different today, and 1t
has been made different In that short
time because Of the latent stores Of
wealth hidden in the land. which has
been made to yield bountifully through
the daring enterprise Of the pioneer
and the railways that had the courage
to extend their enterprising lines of
steel throughout Its length and great
portion of its breadth. Villages and
hamlets have developed into towns and
towns into cities, Imported and main
tanned by those who, coming practl-
cally from all parts of the world, and
many. yes, thousands, from the neigh
boring states to the south, have taken
up land that cost them but q trifie as
compared with what they were able
to dispose Of the holdings upon which
IxyfY fnr
people brought with them a method
in life that electrified and changed the
entire Canadian West. Today things
are different, and a trip to Western
Canada will show country new but
old. New because changes have been
wrought that give to the newcomer
the opportunity to become part of a
growing and developing country-it
gives the chance to say what shall be
made of it; old because there has been
brought into its life those things
that have proven useful in older coun-
tries, while there has been eliminated
everything that would tend TO a back
ward stage. A writer, dealing with
social matters, treats of the schools,
and says:
Everywhere the school follows the
pillow. Cities which a few years ago
were represented by scattered shacks
are proud today of their school build
ings. The web of education is being
spread over the prairie. Lately,
however, new policy has been adopt
ed. Instead of many rural schools,
big central schools are being estab-
lished-each serving an area of fifty
square miles or so, and children who
live q mile and half ava, are con-
veyed thither in well-warmed motor
cars. In the summer, of course, they
come on bikes" or ponies.
"And the young idea is taught to
shoot In many directions. The instruc-
ton is not limited to the three RS,
but nature study and manual crafts
are taught, in order that the future
agriculturist may have his education
al foundation laid. Many rural schools
have pleasant gardens attached, with
flower and vegetable beds. and the
visitor to one such school deep in the
country says she will never forget the
pride with which little lad showed
her the patch of onions in his plot.
Thrift Is also taught in the schools
by means of the dime bank.
Following the primary schools there
are secondary schools, where training
is free. This includes classics. modern
languages, science, mathematics, ad-
vanced English, and often agricultural,
commercial, and technical subjects.
and-but this concerns the girls
household economics. For three years
this lasts, and then comes matricuIa-
ton into the university, matricula-
ton which admits direct to the arts
or science degree. or the education
may be completed by course in some