The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-07-16
1940-41 ANNUAL REPORT OF The
STATE CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL

The typical supervised correspond
ence study student, based on the 1870
Al registrations, is from Is to II
years of age, lives on a farm, and
is more likely to be boy than a girl.
If the student is physically incapaci-
tated, he will likely not be able to
attend school because of one of the
following reasons: infantile paralysis
car accident, defective hearing or a
combination of physical ailments. If
he is an isolated student unable to
attend high school because of distance
or finance, he will reside 26 to 30
miles from a high school, study at
a rural school and complete two and
one-half units of work during the
school year.
If he attends a high school, it is
likely to have an enrolment of less
than rs students and he win register
for either one-half or one unit of work,
while the remaining school work will
be taken in regular high school
classes.
Four hundred sixty-seven students
enrolled for $50 supervised cores
pondence study courses for the school
year of 1940-41. For each one hun
dred students, SO p live on farms, IL
reside in villages and small towns,
and 1914 reside in urban centers. A
considerable number who enroll for
courses in urban cent
ers do so because of illness, acct
dents, permanent disability, and Army
and Navy service. Thus, slightly
over 80 out of each 100 live on farms,
ranches, or in small towns located in
agricultural areas. These figures in
dictate that the Montana State Cores
pondence School is serving the groups
it was intended to serve, namely,
incapacitated, isolated rural
students who cannot attend school,
and students who are unable to OBJ
tain subjects which they need
In any consideration of the service
the State Correspondence School can
tural state like Montana, the fact
should be kept in mind that because
of the higher birth rate in rural areas
and the migration of adults to cities,
the youth population of the state is
more rural than the adult population
or the total population for the same
state. For instance, in Montana the
1910 census indicates that the state
is 62 percent rural and 3S percent
urban. This is true only for the total
population. This means, then, that
MORE than 81 out of every 100 boys
and girls in Montana of school age
live on farms or in small towns and
Naturally the offerings and
activities in the school or rural areas
should be developed to serve those
who reside in the community.
The 1941 report of the Institute for
Rural Youth Guidance states that
about one-half of the farm young
people must leave the farm and find
careers in non-agricultural pursuits,
and many who remain on the farm
will have to supplement farm earnings
by other skills or resources in order
TO maintain even 1alr STANDARDS OF
living" Thus, both groups, those
who stay on the farm and those who
migrate to the city, need to be con-
sidered by those who plan the educa-
tional program for the children of
agricultural areas.
The foregoing statements indicate
that the curriculum which is heavily |
weighted with academic subjects will |
need to be revised more and more |
in order to meet present day condi- |
tions. The introduction of more nom
academic subjects and activities not |
only helps those who are to remain
and participate in rural life but it |
will also aid the occupational adj
justment of those who desire, or are |
forced, to migrate. Most school men |
are aware of the need of certain cur
ricular changes. How to make the
necessary changes in a practical and |
economical manner is often a perplex-
ing problem Supervised correspond
snce study can be used effectively as |
)ne of several agencies in making nee
sssary adjustments. 1t can help in
.wo ways. First, in seeing that rural |
children regardless of their financial |
and isolation have an