302 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



blank reports asking for certain information. These schools repre- 

 sented the best and the poorest as well as the average found in sev- 

 eral of the best counties of the State. 



The combined report of these 250 schools shows the following: 



Number of pupils enrolled, 6,059. 



Number of pupils in 7th and 8th grades : boys, 224 ; girls, 346. 



Total, 570. 



It will be seen that the enrollment of the two upper grades is 

 about nine per cent of the total enrollment. It is safe to say that 

 there is not more than four per cent of the total enrollment of 

 these schools in the eighth grade or last year's work ; that is, out of 

 every hundred children enrolled in these schools, only four, on an 

 average, finish the course. 



Three-fourths of these schools report that the stove is placed in 

 the middle of the room. 



Seventeen out of every twenty report that there is no jacket 

 around the stove. 



One-fourth report the drinking water as bad. 



These schools were asked to make mention of any improv.j- 

 ments contemplated during the school year of 1912-13. About 

 one-half of them responded to this question. 



Following are some of the things being attempted and the 

 number of schools making effort along each line : 



Ninety-one schools were attempting to get more books for 

 library. 



Twenty-six schools were attempting to get stove jacketed. 



Fifteen schools were attempting to get schools cleaned. 



Fourteen schools were attempting to get some means of venti- 

 lation. 



Fourteen schools were attempting to get better blackboards. 



Twelve schools were attempting to get individual drinking 

 cups. 



Eleven schools were attempting to get better desks. 



Nine schools were attempting to make better classification of 

 schools. 



Nine schools were attempting to clean yards. 



Six schools were attempting to do some work in domestic 

 science. 



Four schools were attempting to hold parents' meetings. 



These reports show the poor material conditions of a very 

 large number of rural schools and it also shows that about onf- 

 half of the teachers are making no effort to improve them. 



