Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-03-19
N. H. Commissioner
Of Education Speaks
At Colby Chap. Meet

AT tHe annual meeting OF the CODY
chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa society
held last night in the First Baptist
church DR.. Ernest Warren Butterfleld,
b. A, LII. D., commissioner Of educa-
ton for the state of New Hampshire,
was the principal speaker and address,
ed the audience on tho subject of
THE Problem for the Rural School,"
The speaker said that the settle-
ment of the uplands occupied a period
of intensive activity when in 80 years
territory of an empire was turned
into a civilized land from a wider
Eess. Previous to 1910 each town was
self-sufficient and had sufficient wealth.
potential labor and local leadership for
the complete conduct of it's affairs.
Each town had children enough for it's
schools. wealth enough to support
these schools and permanent local
leadership in squires, doctors, minis
ters and others to make this effective.
The speaker stated that upon this de-
pletcd civilization the school laws and
the educational policies of the country
are still based. and therefore need a
great and radical change for modern
methods.
The reasons given by DR.. Butterfield
for the present conditions were given
as depopulation. over-expansion, spe-
cial movements of population and REM
edies were suggested for these ills. Ac-
Cording to the speaker. the back towns
have lost In population greatly in the
last years, not alone in population but
in wealth and leadership. until the
local support is practically impossible
and the result is that the schools must
rely on charity or be completely reor-
CaniZp6 The IF
was taken up and DR.. Butterfeld de-
clared that as result of this move
ment industrial changes have made
practically impossible life under con-
ditions which previously permitted a
medieval civilization to prosper in that
farming today is impossible today be-
cause of the rocky and sterile farms
which have been farmed to death. The
special movements Of population are
due to industrial revolution which has
attracted many country people to the
larger cities. westward immigration
has taken hundreds to the western
parts of the country, the Civil War
took many away never to return to the
small country towns and many rural
schools have been city schools trans
ferred to the country.
The remedies suggested are to devel-
op local leadership as the evils of alb
sentee leadership are very great. The
charitable organizations with their
professional uplifters and kind hearted
outsiders cannot permanently elevate
the situation. Local leadership is alb
solutely essention and must be retain
ed and developed in the country COM
munities A superintendent of schools
might easily be such a leader as his
position after he has established it Sc
~ i,,fo MI
First he must be we'll equipped and
we'll paid and must be a permanent cit
izen as we'll as n school officer. The
teacher is also such n leader and &C
cordingly must be we'll trained and well
treated and her position must also be q
permanent one in the community.
DR.. Butterfield said that the re-
organization Of the school program
necessitates the development of the
rural schools with studies fitted to
the needs Of the rural community in
buildings which should be commun-
ity centers. This is absolutely es-
sential to the well working of the
school. He stated that the CONSOLE
dated school cannot succeed in many
of the New England towns because
typo of school but that the one
room reorganizeed school will sue
coed and has succeeded.
The state wide financial and edu-
cational equalization is needed in
this program the speaker declared.
Changed conditions, economically
and otherwise have made the state
the smallest possible unit in adj
ministration. There is needed in
this program Of reorganization
ample state aid and skilled distribu-
| ton in order that the local interests
may not be dwarfsd and pauperism
be developed. There is great need
of a strong department of education