RURAL SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY 129 



doing of new things that has been attempted by 

 this league. The important item is that the 

 school has been organized for these definite pur- 

 poses, and the work is carried on systematically 

 from year to year. It needs no argument to 

 show the value of this sort of co-operation to the 

 pupil, to the teacher, to the school, to the parents, 

 and ultimately to the community as a whole. 



3. A third method is through co-operation be- 

 tween the home and the school, between the 

 teacher and pupils on one side, and parents and 

 taxpayers on the other side. Parents sometimes 

 complain that the average school is a sort of 

 mill, or machine, into which their children are 

 placed and turned out just so fast, and in just 

 such condition. But if this is the case, it is 

 partly the fault of the parents who do not keep 

 in close enough touch with the work of the 

 school. It is not that parents are not interested 

 in their children, but it is rather that they look 

 at the school as something separate from the 

 ordinary affairs of life. Now, nothing can be 

 more necessary than that this notion should be 

 done away with. There must be the closest co- 

 operation between the home and school. How 

 can this co-operation be brought about ? Fre- 

 quently parents are urged to visit the schools. 



