Present Proposals 143 



a progress in the spirit of the school and in a 

 somewhat changed outlook rather than in the 

 adding of subjects under new names. 



Three movements looking in some measure 

 to the supplanting or reorganizing of rural 

 schools are now well set in, — (i) the granting 

 of aid by Congress for the schools of the 

 people, (2) the consolidating of existing 

 schools in order to increase the efficiency of 

 teaching, (3) the establishing of secondary 

 schools for agriculture. All these movements 

 will contribute to the solution of the rural 

 school problem, but it maybe well to examine 

 them somewhat carefully. 



( I ) The subject of federal aid. 



Bills are before Congress to grant federal 

 aid to secondary and normal schools in the 

 states. It is a new policy. Its consequences 

 should be carefully considered. 



It is relatively easy to secure money from 

 Congress, because it is least accountable to 

 local public sentiment and because its funds 

 are not derived from direct taxation. The ten- 



