PROGRESS IN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 333 



cousin) School ol' A<iriciilturc and honicstic Kconomy; H, of the 

 Minnesota School of Aoric-nlluiv; C, of "Aiticnhited conrscs in 

 industrial snhjccts in the consolidated rnral school; the ag^ricnltnral 

 hi^h school, and tiie a<iiicnltni'al colle«;e. as prepared by W. M. 

 Hays, at the reqnest of the committee;" and D, the syllahns of an 

 elementary course in agriculture, quoted from Circular GO, of this 

 Office. 



In general, the committee maintained that the rural schools which 

 train nearly one-half of the school poi)nlation of this country, should 

 recognize the fact that the major })ortion of their pupils will con- 

 tinue to live uj)on the farm and should provide specific, definite 

 technical training for them for the activities of farm life. It ad- 

 duced strong arguments in support of this position and emphasized 

 the educational value as well as the ])ractical utility of courses of 

 study framed with this end in view. The connnittee favored the 

 consolidation of rural schools, in order that teachers specially fitted 

 to this work might he secured and the instruction made more efficient. 

 It also advocated the establishment of high schools to meet the special 

 needs of the rural i)opulation for secondary education directly related 

 to agricultural practice. 



The general conclusions reached by the committee, as stated in the 

 report, are as follows : 



First. That in existiiif? one-room district schools a limited amount of nature 

 study and work in the elements of agriculture, and hand worlc for both boys 

 and girls may be undertaken ; that in view of the quality of the teaching 

 force available for these schools, the inuuaturity of the greater numljer of the 

 pupils, the ci'owded condition of the programme, and the lack of adequate super- 

 vision. i>ut little can be expected in the way of industrial education in this class 

 of schools; but where enthusiastic teachers qualified for the work, and pupils 

 of sutlicieiit maturity ;ire brought together in tlu' same school, something worth 

 while may be accomplished, and that the effort for such accomplishment should 

 certainly l)e made. 



Second. That in the consolidated school having at least fom* teachers, one of 

 whom is prepared to teach the elements of agriculture and manual training, ;ind 

 another domestic science, very nuich mure in tlie lield of industrial education 

 may Ih> .-ittempted than in the one-room school, and with far better results. The 

 connnittee believes this to be true, because in such schools teachers may be 

 secured witii far better »|ualificatiuns than are jtossessed by mo.st of the teaciiers 

 in the one-room .schools, and because in in.iiiy c.ises jtupils will reinaiii for one 

 or more years after completing the element.iry school course, diu-iiig which 

 time the work in industrial education m.iy be continued. In the consolidatetl 

 school district, in most cases, new buildings nnist be erected. At small expense 

 rooms may be provided for manual training .ind domestic science work. an<l a 

 pl.it of land as a part of the school grounds set apart for illustrative .-uid 

 experimental work in agriculture. While the connnittee does not wish to enter 

 into any argument in favor of consolidated schools for other reasons than for 

 the facilities they may afl'ord for industrial education, it wishes to indorse most 

 heaitily that portion of the reimrt of the coimiiittee of twelve on rural schools 

 coucerning the advantages of the consolidated school. 



