Many Schools too Small 123 



Home sanitation may easily and profitably be 

 taught in the district school, even though only one 

 or two periods per week be set apart for the purpose. 

 Perhaps the best method of instruction is that of 

 presenting carefully one specific lesson at a time. 

 For example, pure drinking water, clean milk, food 

 contamination by house flies may be treated each 

 in its turn. Adequate charts and illustrations should 

 be brought into service. 



CONSOLIDATION OF RURAL SCHOOLS 



There is much agitation nowadays in regard to 

 consolidating the rural schools. Although present 

 progress is slow, it seems comparatively certain that 

 the one-teacher rural school is destined in time to be- 

 come a thing of the past. However, there is no par- 

 ticular haste in the matter, provided some such plans 

 as the foregoing be put into effect in case of the 

 single school. Perhaps the sparsely settled district 

 has the greatest justification for looking toward con- 

 solidation. It happens that there are thousands of 

 small schools having an attendance of from five to 

 ten pupils. In such an instance, it is practically im- 

 possible to do the best work, the children lacking the 

 spur of rivalry and enthusiasm and the helpful les- 

 sons in social ethics offered only by the larger massing 

 of the young at play. 



In many places, three or four rural districts are 

 uniting in this movement, the general plan being 



