DEPARTMENT ol'" RLRAL SCHQOL EDL'-CATION 



TEACHING 



1. Two courses of instruction in School Gardening were given in the 

 Department of Rural School Education during the past year. Owing to 

 the increased work in extension, these courses have been discontinued 

 until the academic side of rural school education shall be organized. 



2. A course in elementary agriculture and nature-study was given in 

 the Rural Schoolhouse during the six- weeks Summer School of 19 12. 

 The class met on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and various sub- 

 jects outlined by the State Syllabus were presented by experts in the 

 special fields. Forty-two persons registered for this work, and there 

 were over fifty in attendance at each meeting. Special conferences were 

 held for high school teachers and for rural leaders. 



IXVE.STIG.\TION 



Inasmuch a? the extension work of the Department of Rural School 

 Education is in touch with all the rural schools of the State, there is 

 opportunity to follow up the work in particular schools showing features 

 of special interest. It is very important that some investigation of actual 

 school conditions, good and bad, in the rural districts of the State should 

 be actively pursued. It is only in this way that the material sent out from 

 the College in the interests of rural schools can be intelligently suited to 

 the needs of those to whom it goes. Thus far there has been no provi- 

 sion for the maintenance of investigative activity in this Department. 



EXTENSION 



The aims of the extension work of the Department may be outlined as 

 follows : 



1. To furnish teachers with accurate subject-matter for instruction in 

 agriculture. 



2. To help direct the outlook of rural boys and girls in two ways : 

 toward agricultural economy, which leads to prosperity ; toward sympathy 

 with their country life, which leads to happiness and contentment. 



3. To correspond with persons in the State who are directing educa- 

 tion, in order that the schools may be more easily reached and that we 

 may know the present attitude toward our work. 



4. To aid all supervisors of rural schools in their eflforts to promote 

 agricultural education. 



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