The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-12-05
SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION

(" /. &. p % . = <. - . q s.
Consolidation has proved itself to
! be one OF the best ways OF changing
very poor schools into very fine ones
1t has not yet failed where it has beeI'
;ntelligently planned ard worked out
There are 10000 or more successful
consolidated schools, and new ones
are being established in considerable
numbers every year.
Here is what the consolidated
school of the better class may, and in
many cases does. offer:
A school term of $50 to 200 days
with a considerable amount of inter
est in the child and his activities
maintained during the vacation peri
iod. This time element is one Of the
first and most necessary factors in
maintaining an equality in amount
of training given children.
A considerable choice of subjects,
! in addition to the essential ones. 50
shat the child may follow the lines of
his own interests Or necessities.
A group of professionally trained
experienced, and supervised teachers
with whom he may become acquaint-
cd. By the simple mathematical
law of chance, if nothing else, he is
more apt to find in number of
teachers than in the individual teach
er the things necessary for his
growth. There are more minds
brought to bear on his problem.
School buildings and grounds de-
signed to safeguard and promote the
children's health, supply them with
an .,'tundance of mechanical means
necessary for work and recreation,
and develop in them an idea of the
aesthetic. In this respect the consol-
idated school of the country has ma
ny natural advantages over even the
best of the city schools. More room
for play space, gardens, and outside
laboratories may be had for less ex-
pense. There is greater freedom
from annoying noises and much less
danger from traffic.
Acquaintance and companionship
for each child with a considerable
number of children of his own age
and stage of development to train
him in ready social adjustment and
give him the confidence that rises
from competition with equals.
Contacts for each child witE
groups of children in the natural
stages of development Immediately
succeeding his own They rouse his
spirit of emulation and furnish in
centives to the effort necessary to
make him active and self-reliant.
The services of a physician or nurse
or both to prevent or stop in its in
ception any sickness among the
children.
Means of interesting the communi-
ty in the betterment of its own life to
keep pace with the ideals set before
the children.
Transportation, sanitary and safe,
to and from school for all children
residing any great distance from the
school plant.
These things, characteristic of the
better consolidated schools every
where, are the hall marks of the best
schools now known. Consolidation
has not vet taken over the psychology
ical clinic. Perhaps the natural free
dom of the country makes that to
some extent unnecessary. 1t has
adopted much of the best along other
lines and developed, because of its
inherent advantages, some fine quail
tiles of it's own that it may be diff
cult for the finest Of large city
schools to equal or improve upon.
And remember, the consolidated
schools, standard in type, rapidly
coming to be counted among the
strongest features of our educational
system, have all been the result of
an attempt to equalize from the bot
tom up. They have oeen created by
concentrating the wealth and energy
cf areas that before consolidation
dissipated their efforts on very poor
kind of schools. The consolidated
schools withdraw nothing from the
tcp of the system. On the contrary.
they have added much to it. They
equalize by bringing the poorest up
not only to the average but to the
best.