The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-04-04

(b) The safety or society demands
new kind of rural school suited to
the preparation of rural people for
the new world situation. The pres
ent supply of prepared teachers in no
sense equals the demand which should
be made by rural people. We be-
lieve that normal schools and other
teacher preparing institutions should
Immediately recognize their obliga-
tion-frst, to train teachers for ru-
raj schools, and second, to create
among rural people an ever increas-
ing demand for prepared teachers.
Normal schools have done much in re-
Icent years to recognize their obliga-
tion to the rural people but only a
beginning has been made. To satisfy
the real need at least one-half of all
students in attendance at normal
schools should 5e preparing to teach
in rural communities. All educational
authorities, especially thos" prepar-
ing teachers owe it to the public to
emphasize to prospective and active
teachers the opportunities for public
service rather than the opportunities
for the individual which the profes-
sion of teaching offers.
3. That the Office Of county super
intendent Of schools be recognized as
the key to the rural educational eff
ficiency. To this end that office
should be endowed by law with those
possibilities, powers, responsibilities
and rewards which will challenge the
best talent in the state and the ma
ton to aspire to, prepare for, enter
and continue in the Office of county
superintendent of schools. That men
of ability leave educational work for
the law, medicine, politics or business
because they are socially more re-
spected or financially more profitable
IS ample proof of an awakened pub
lie consciousness of the supreme I'M
portance of education and the rela-
ton of wise leadership to it. We
must make educational leadership so
attractive and so highly respected by
those engaged in it that public shock
if not reproach will attend the depar-
ture Of a school man from his work
for some other business or profession.
4. 1t is the sense of this body that
the one-teacher school as at present
organized has outlived it's usefulness.
The economic, social, and educational
situation in which it had its origin has
passed. A new national and world
order is upon US. Our farm people
must understand many new sciences,
laoor with intricate scientific machin-
agencies for the production and dis
ttr'bution Of agricultural specialties.
They arc nn": {: part Of much larger
social and econv nc Irit than they
were in pioneer days and must be ed
ucated for the new order of things.
The present one-teacher school is in
capable of satisfying this new de-
mand.
We therefore recommend that every
state enter enthusiastically into two
campaigns for the improvement Of ru-
raj schools.
First-to eliminate as many one
teacher schols as possible through con-
solidation.
Second-to simplify the course of
study for the one-room school and to
develop a class room technique suited
to it. To this end each state shoull
conduct scientific experiments to de-
velop technique and management
such that a superior teacher may be
able to accomplish fairly satisfactory
results in one-teacher schools where
consolidation is impossible. The states
should make it legally impossible for
any but the most experienced and sue
cessful teachers to teach in one-room
schools.
5. In this time of financial depres-
sion it is essential to public welfare
and especially to rural progress that
there be no dimunition Of salaries for
teachers. Teaching must be made and
kept economically attractive if we
are to secure and retain in the profes-
sion teachers of ability.
6. Units of taxation and admins
tration are not yet ideal. We must
continue to study these problems.
Equality of child opportunity shall be
the gauge by which all administration
shall be tested. All of the units Of
government have their responsibility
and must yield their contribution not
only according to individual power but
also according to general need.