Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1923-11-01


that the high schools have failed,
that the rural high schools "have a.
minimum of everything that goes to
make high school except the pu-
pills." But we have shown that this
statement, also, Is incorrect; and
the candidate who made the ac-
cusation has since recanIed with re-
spect to some of the rural high
schools. It seems that he has acted
upon our suggestion and has been
getting a little firsthand informa-
tion. In our opinion, il he is q rea-
sonable man, he will recant with
respect to about all our rural high
schools when he has finished his
itineracy Of Morgan county. Insti
tute speakers and inspectors from
the state department of education in
their addresses before Institutes In
other counties have praised the
schools of Morgan county. And the
fact that graduates from our high
schools have been successful in the
colleges and universities where 9TH
ers have failed, is certainly con-
vincing evidence of the thorough
ness of the work Of our schools.
But now, under date of Oct. 25,
Mr.StrOng comes along with his long
heralded and anxiously awaited
remedy" Due respect for the
opinion of Mr.. Strong requires that
we consider this remedy" Here it
is: THAT two more years be added
to our grade schools, making two
years of high school to be taught in
the rural school that does not have
high school within reach Secure
this by an amendment to the pres
ent law. -" In the first place,
we do not see what the election of
Mr.. Strong to the county board of
education would have to do with Sc
curing such an amendment; and in
the second place, we fail to see the
need of securing such an amend
! this kind now in the law (Sec.
| 764S). Mr.. Strong doesn't seem to
| be very familiar with the thing
which he opposes.
Why, then, hasn't this been done?
This very question was considered
in this county three or four years
ago. The plan was not adopted be-
cause of its mpracticability. Teach
ers Of such schools would be requir-
ed to hold high school certificates,
and such teachers are in such de-
mand for high school positions that
it is not at all probable that they
could be secured for such elemen-
tary schools. The salaries of such
teachers would have to be consider
ably more than is being paid to ell
ementary teachers, and this addi-
tional expense together with the
expense incident to equipping and
maintaining such equipment for
high school teaching, would make
this plan of providing high school
training unreasonably expensive, if
not altogether prohibitive. Fur
thermore we do not believe it would
be advisable to require the teachers
to undertake to teach two more
grades in the one room elementary
schools, because they now have too
many recitations per day. We have
been considering plan to reduce
this number, and have about decid-
ed to introduce a plan of alternating
subjects by years. Something of
this kind seems absolutely essential
~ tAO WOIldIC VI IAc Ouc-IOOIu cIC-
mentary school.
But, with all the elimination pos
sible, the teachers in the one-room
elementary schools will still have
as many classes as they should be
required to teach. Teachers of
these schools are now required to
teach reading, writing, spelling,
arithmetic and language in all the
eight grades. geography in five
grades, history in four grades, hy-
giene in three grades. and agricul-
ture and civil government in two
grades. Besides this they are re-
quired to devote 100 minutes per
week to teaching physical educa-
ton. 80 minutes per week to teach
ing thrift, and 80 minutes per week
to teaching tho dangers and meth
eds Of prevention of fires. How are
they going to find time to give in
dividual attention to pupils during
their study periods? And this Is
just as important az hearing them
recite. Mr.. Strong's idea, which.
however. is not new to those famil-
lar with school administration, can
be carried into. effect In q two-room
school where the work can be d.
vided and fewer Glasses, given to
each teacher. and this has been
done in all the tWO-rOOm schools OF