Consolidated School In Country Near Florence. 



Montana Is Progressive. 



That Montana is progressive along educational lines is attested by the fact that 

 many progressive features and progressive laws have been instituted. In all of the 

 elementary and high schools of the state free text-books are furnished to the pupils. 

 This makes the books all uniform and assures the child, at little expense to the 

 district, a good book containing the full subject matter. Domestic science, indus- 

 trial training and work in agriculture are subjects in the school curriculum. A 

 good deal of attention is being given to supplying equipment for this work. The 

 federal government has extended aid, through the Smith-Hughes Act, which was 

 taken advantage of by a few of the high schools in 1917 and will be extended more 

 widely in 1918. 



A new feature of the high school work is the normal training courses that have 

 been instituted for the training of the high school graduate to teach in rural schools. 

 Many of the schools now provide medical inspection for the children, including optical 

 and dental examination and treatment. 



An added feature which gives much aid to the schools is the extension service, 

 located at the State College. The headquarters of the experiment station is also 

 located at the college and works in conjunction with the extension service. These 

 institutions render a service to the schools through the information distributed. In 

 connection with this work, there are short courses given at the college for farmers 

 and farmer boys and other courses in domestic science work for the farmers' wives 

 and daughters. The short courses are becoming popular and beneficial, especially 

 to the farmer boy who cannot attend the high schools. 



Special Training for Teachers. 



To supply the schools with good teachers, the state has provided a number of 

 ways. The State Normal school at Dillon provides thorough training in the elementary 

 work and the teachers trained here are much in demand in all parts of the state. 

 In addition to this work the different state institutions hold summer sessions for the 

 benefit of the teachers of the state, which is aimed to fit them for more efficient 

 work in their profession. A number of the counties are now holding special summer 

 schools for their teachers, which are in session for a period of about six weeks, 

 sometime during the summer months. 



In many of the larger high schools provision has been made for training the 

 graduates to teach in rural schools, by installing the normal course. This will 



