Excerpt from The Rural School, Its Needs and a Few Suggestions for Its Improvement
The problem
Much has been said and written during the past decade on rural schools, their deficiencies, and the much needed improvement. Such slogans as "Rack to the Land." "Stay on the Farm." "The Country School of Today for the Country Roy of Tomorrow" are familiar to. all readers of the daily papers. The little red schoolhouse, the pride of the pioneers, served its purpose well and because it met a necessity, continued to exist. Rut the box car type of school of pioneer days no longer meets the demands of the day. "Tradition dies hard," and it is difficult for some people to realize that the sacred little red schoolhouse with its hallowed carved desks and moss-covered water bucket must go. The changed social and economic conditions of farm life today demand a new type of school that will train the youth of our rural communities to meet efficiently the great industrial opportunities and the social needs of rural life in the new century.
The reports of the United Stales Bureau of Education reveal to us that improvement is going on all over the country. The movement for more effective home and school cooperation is nation-wide. Yet. judging from letters received from recent graduates of our normal schools, from complaints made by teachers, old and voting, at our annual institutes, from reports from rural workers, and from talks with investigators and educators in the rural field, we are forced to conclude that in many cases the rural school lacks intelligent and economical management, adequate supervision, and efficient teachers.
The enthusiastic May dream of the day when an ideal teacher ("if there he such an animal") may he placed in every rural school: but. something more than an ideal teacher is needed. Every agency connected with the rural school and its community must awaken to the fact that it is responsible for its share in helping to solve the problem. The normal school, the county superintendent, the rural supervisor, the trustees or school hoards, the country people, and the voters at large, as well as the teacher, have each their part to perform.
After hearing students of the normal school give as some of their reasons for not wishing to tench in the country the following: "Buildings poorly heated and ventilated"": "yards small, treeless, and lacking equipment": "no janitor service"; "too many grades"; "unsatisfactory hoarding places"; "no opportunity to attend lectures, concerts, church, or entertainment of any sort"; "too lonesome"; "salary too small"; "no chance to get to town"; one can not wonder why some of our best graduates never find their way into a country school; or if they do, why their stay is brief.
Purpose of visit
With some of the above ideas in mind, wishing to direct my enthusiasm into practical channels, and desiring to prove to my personal satisfaction that things had improved since I taught in a rural school. I obtained from the Normal School of Los Angeles, in January, 1916, a three months" leave of absence in order to visit and study a few of the rural schools of southern California.
During this period I visited schools and observed rural school conditions in nine counties; in four of them my study was rather intensive.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com Это и многое другое вы найдете в книге The Rural School, Its Needs and a Few Suggestions for Its Improvement (Classic Reprint) (Elizabeth E. Keppie)