Hints on Rural School Grounds. 277 



difference in the looks of a schoolhouse ; and the mere looks 

 of a schoolhouse has a wonderful influence on the child. The 

 railroad corporation likes to build good-looking station-houses, 

 although they have no greater capacity than homely ones. I 

 asked an architect for a simple plan of a cheap school house. 

 He gave me Fig. 24. Plans for the improvement of shoolhouses ma}' 

 be obtained of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Albany-. 



The following sentences are extracted from the "Report of 

 the Com^mittee of Twelve on Rural Schools," of the National 

 Educational Association (1897) : 



" The rural schoolhouse, generally speaking, in its character 

 and surroundings is depressing and degrading. There is nothing 

 about it calculated to cultivate a taste for the beautiful in art or 

 nature." 



"If children are daily -surrounded by those influences that 

 elevate them, that make them clean and well-ordered, that make 

 them love flowers, and pictures, and proper decorations, they at 

 last reach that degree of culture where nothing else will please 

 them. When they grow up and have homes of their own, they 

 must have them clean, neat, bright with pictures, and fringed 

 with shade trees and flowers, for they have been brought up to 

 be happy in no other environment." 



" The rural schoolhouse should be built in accordance with the 

 laws of sanitation and modern civilization. It never will be 

 until the State, speaking through the Supervisor, compels it as 

 a prerequisite for receiving a share of the public funds." 



b. HOW TO BEGIN A REFORM. 



We will assume that there is one person in each rural school 

 district who desires to renovate and improve the school premises. 

 There may be two. If this person is the school commissioner or 

 the teacher, so much the better. 



Let this person call a meeting of the patrons at the school- 

 house. Lay before the people the necessity of improving the 

 premises. Quote the opinions of intelligent persons respecting 

 the degrading influence of wretched surroundings ; or even read 

 extracts from this bulletin. The cooperation of the most 



