The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-06-07
Editorial Comment
Back 10 the District School
New York Times)

The little red schoolhouse once the boast of the
stump orator, has of late been the shame of the
educator. But it is now coming into its own again
possession considerably bettered, according to Dor
othy Garfield Fisher, who traces significant cycle
of development in the new Survey Graphic At
least it is so in Vermont. Mrs. Fisher makes no
claim of forethought. The thing just happened
When mass education fell upon US Vermont was too
poor to build deliberately architectural and sani-
tary graded schools and fetch the children from
miles about in motor buses. The little red school,
house kept on, with it's paint blisterng away, its
water bucket breeding microbes, and it's score of
pupils Of all ages under a teacher Of no particular
qualifications Vermont envied plate-glass windows
and open plumbing, scurrying motor buses and
school-cooked luncheons-most Of all enved graded
classes of pupils precisely like-minded, with teach
carefully trained to impart the precisely appro-
pirate knowledge in precisely the approved way.
When objections arose to "mass education" Yer
mont pricked up its In the little red school
house the retarded and the advanced pupil present
not the slightest administrative difficulty. They
slip back forge ahead quite of themselves. The
is not further dulled moreover, by being cut off
from ivelier playmates, while the other profits no
less by varied experience of his fellow-beings. 1t
is quite easy to. handle the problem of the boy
who is third grade in reading, but certainly fifth
grade in arithmetic" Like Molere, he takes his
own where he finds t-before the desk of teacher
undeniably deficient in pedagogcs but experienced
in teaching many things to many minds In a word.
where mass education breaks up the normal family"
relationship of varied types and varied ages, the
little red schoolhouse enlarges and extends it.
Mass educators have discovered that skill of the
hand bears an important relation to mental devel-
opment construction Of material things to concrete
reasoning. Happy thought! The little red school
set up manual training department which con-
sisted in making itself into larger, more san
itary and more architectural temple of the three
Enthusiastically affording course in the duties Of
good citizenship subject which the mass educator
"covers" with talks and lectures. To achieve warn,
luncheons the pupils cut wood build fires, cook and
! clear up. Jimmy" asked mother whose son was
at the Pirate age, Ibid you get that lair in the old
fallen pine tree finished today?" Jimmy shook his
head 1T was the turn of the Pirate Chief to wash
Dishes" The redoubtable Since with his sewing
machine, who delighted Peter Pan, presents nc
more engaging picture.
| Vermont may some day come again to boast the
little red schoolhouse Fourth Of July. It is
spending money more profitably far than motor
buses. Teachers are the great problem. The Fed
GRAFTON Of Womens Clubs awards its liberal schol
arshps only condition that the recipients teach
2 certain number Of years in q one-room district
school. In nation prone everywhere to substitute
mass products for quality il is an example Of wds
applicability. At the other end Of the educationa
eamut universities are finding that II instruction
and college life are to be kept alive and vital It cai
Be only BY subdviding the student body into units
improved analosues q the small colleges d yore.