270 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



CENTEALIZATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS 



By E. B. DORSETT, Mansfield, Pa. 



Wlieuever a public writer or speaker is at loss for a subject upon 

 wliicli to express his views, he either selects the "Public School" 

 or the "High Cost of Living;" little realizing how closely the two 

 subjects are related. Few, indeed, are the number who have studied 

 the close relation that one bears the other, but have felt that the 

 most serious condition of couutrj' life, as we find it to-day, is the 

 silent but startling migration of our rural people to the towns and 

 cities. Country people are moving in to secure better school advan- 

 tages for their children, which they are unable to get in many of 

 our public schools. This reduces the number of producers and in- 

 creases the number of consumers, thereby raising the cost of living. 

 This pernicious practice is not only draining our farm homes of their 

 brightest boys and girls, but is removing from the farms men and 

 women iu the prime of life, who are most needed to maintain a 

 rural citizenship. 



The type of citizenship in any community should be of such a 

 character as will instill in the minds of its people a desire to build 

 up and maintain better social and educational facilities. There can 

 be little incentive to do this if these facilities are to be found only 

 in our towns and cities. The fundamental problem of country life 

 is that of keeping a standard people upon our farms, and in making 

 life on the farm more attractive and remunerative. This can only 

 be done by providing efficient schools, such as will meet the needs 

 and supply the wants of our boys and girls. Years ago the rural 

 school was the center of attraction. Singing schools, spelling schools 

 and literary societies made it the life of the neighborhood. The 

 school system then fitted the needs of the rural people. To-day, 

 owing to industrial and educational changes, the old public school 

 of the past has gone never to return again. We must have a redi- 

 rected school system and it must be directed in part, at least, by 

 those whom it is to serve. All mankind, and especially the farmers, 

 should be deeply concerned in this readjustment of the rural school. 



THE FARMERS' VIEWPOINT 



The administration of our schools and the burden of raising the 

 taxes, rests largely upon the tillers of the soil. It is my purpose 

 then to give you the farmers' viewpoint of the farmers' school. The 

 making of the courses of study, the manner in which they shall be 

 imparted to our children, the framing of the laws governing our 

 schools, is almost invariably turned over to the professional edu- 

 cator, or politician, who, however excellent may be their motives, 

 have limitations the same as the rest of us, and see only one side 

 of the question, and that is the professional one. 



Extending back to the days of Horace Mann, the father of our 

 educational system, our schools have been built upon the beautiful 

 theory that every American child shall have a college education. 



