ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS 123 



rural high schools some states have offered the inducement of 

 state aid to a limited number of schools undertaking this work. 

 For example, Minnesota is now giving for this purpose $2,500 

 to each of thirty high schools, and $1,000 to each of sixty. 

 This method has some advantages over entire local support, 

 for it not only makes possible the securing of good teachers 

 but provides for a higher standard of efficiency than is likely 

 to be secured by a purely local management. (See chaps, iii. 

 and iv.) 



The Hinckley State High School which is a good example of 

 this type of high school organized in Minnesota offers the 

 following courses: literary course, four years; agricultural- 

 industrial course, four years; special agricultural course, two 

 years ; short course for institutes for farmers ; normal course 

 for rural teachers, one year (161). 



A somewhat different plan of state aid to high schools giv- 

 ing instruction in agriculture, mechanic arts, and home-making 

 is being worked out in New York. The following extract from 

 the educational law of 1910 will indicate the scope of the New 

 York plan: 



The Commissioner of Education in the annual apportionment of the state 

 school moneys shall apportion therefrom to each city and union free school 

 district the sum of $500 for each independently organized general industrial 

 school, trade school, or school of agriculture, mechanic arts, and home-making, 

 maintained therein for 38 weeks during the school year and employing one 

 teacher whose work is devoted exclusively to such school, and having an 

 enrolment of at least 25 pupils, and maintaining a course of study approved 

 by him. The Commissioner shall also make an additional appropriation to 

 each city or union free school district of $200 for each additional teacher em- 

 ployed exclusively in such schools for 38 weeks during the school year 

 (162, p. 3). 



In order to secure successful operation of this law, the or- 

 ganization and general oversight of all schools receiving state 

 aid for teaching agriculture are under the direction of the State 

 Department of Agricultural Education. The State Department 

 of Education has also prepared a very complete series of syllabi 

 of courses in agriculture for high schools. From this series it is 



