The Tomahawk., 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 Of some of the Hudson Bay posts,
few courageous ranchmen and In
dians. It was a country of unknown
quantity. It is different today, and it
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 beautifully 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, supported and main.
tanned by those who, coming practi-
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 trifle as
compared with what they were able
to dispose Of the holdings upon which
they had been living for years. These
people brought with, them a method
in life that electrified and changed the
entire Canadian West. Today things
are different, and trip to Western
Canada will show a 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 it's 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
plow: 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-
serving an area Of fifty
square miles or so, and children who
live a mile and a half away 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-
ion is not limited to the three RS,
)ut nature study and manual crafts
ire taught, in order that the future
lgriculturist may have his education
Il foundation laid. Many rural schools
lave pleasant gardens attached, with
lower and vegetable beds, and the
7isitor to one such school deep in the
country says she will never forget the
>rfde with which a little lad showed
Ter the patch of onions in his plot.
Thrift is also taught in the schools (
" means Of the dime bank. Il
"Following the primary schools there
re secondary schools, where training
s free. This includes classics, modern
languages, science, mathematics, ad-
'anced English, and often agricultural.
and technical subjects,
this concerns the girls
economics. For three years I
his lasts, and then comes matricula-
ion into the university, a matricula-
ION which admits direct to the arts
II science degree, or the education
nay be completed by a course in some