Show An Outside Rural Schools i Opinion on Says They Are Second-Rate Second Inadequate In III recent months two livo distinct both IlOth adverse have come to light regarding the tIre conditions l and mill effectiveness of our rural schools Iloth come conic from serious professional sources whose sincerity and honesty of oj purpose par pur pose hose cannot for a 1 moment be bo doubted babied Dr Fine Fille education editor of oj the tIre New Y York or Times Tunes conducted a It six month study and concluded that The T worst school conditions in intIre inthe the tIre United States are arc found in the tho theA iii rural areas In Ill general I I the 1 re leac teach teach- 1 Iw I- I w A 13 ers rs lire Ire poorly prepared 1 I the 1 re 1 buildings build build- Jill 1 I i aAU ings l' l arc are outmoded IUle and 1111 I t the 1 re cu curriculum cur cur- rl r- r w jm i. i is iq Inadequate One out of oj j every four pupils in iii t the Ii C rural I 11 lil schools is is o obtaining only a second second- rate school schooling Ilg mm F FE E The Tue other opinion VAtS teas delivered erel creel ered I b by Y t the 1 h L c elite late v Fannie Fanine W Yc 1 e Dunn long time tine professor of oj rural ru ru- ru- ru ral rub education at Columbia university shy sity teachers college in the 1951 I yearbook of oj the Department of oj Rural Education National Education Association She contended tit that at a major problem exists in the fact that thee tho 12 million children attending rural schools throughout thee the nation do not clot leave have a ci school program to fit their needs They have halVe instead a carbon copy of curriculums developed in inand and 1111 for city schools Let us first examine some of oj Dr Fines Fine's conclusions in more detail remembering that while he lw docs boes not heave have to live with our problems he lie has done sonic some serious and intensive intensive intensive in in- probing of the them The TIre point of view which he Ire brings to bear bellr on the status of our schools is one wo we must nicest in all alt honesty consider While the tire overall picture in rural education is not bright Dr Fine says this docs does not Clot mean that there has not at been some progress in the past Jast thirty years in raising the standards and anti improving the facilities in rural schools Some Sonic communities which recognize recognise their problems have demanded qualified teachers and have leave issued bonds to construct cont construct con can t modern school plants To say that only some sonic communities have leave recognized recognised the tIre problem and emd acted upon It may seem to us rather an understatement of oj the tIe considerable amount of good work that many of oj our small towns have leave done dono in the field of oj local and rural education However let us ItS accept this study at its face value for the tlc time being and listen to some sonic more of C the thee charges In many cases there is little to induce a teacher to pa pursue pursue pur pur- r sue his career in a rural school thee the survey goes on to point out U Undoubtedly the salaries play an important part in inthis inthis 1 this happy picture The rural teacher average receives receives re re- rc- rc 2200 annually or about 42 2 1 a week Marcy Many te teachers receive 65 to a month But Hilt the Times survey says salaries are arc not the lice only reason teachers seek e employment in urban schools Buildings Buildings Build Build- ings of oj the order of oj cow sheds converted garages and amI church basements serve as classrooms in many cases Some rural schools leave have from 70 to 90 children crowded crawled into a single room These conditions Dr Fines Fine's study purports to show are arc thee the rule rather than the thee exception This TIis is a severe severo indictment but perhaps it is too generalised generalized gen gel to be bo thoroughly convincing Nevertheless it exhorts ex ex- hearts horts us to look around in our own areas Do we IVO find conditions that square wet with or approximate those t described in tile the Times report report re re- port Still dealing with thee the lot of tire thee I u rural Tural teacher the survey observes sternly that frequently living conditions con can leave much to be bo desired Either a T r rural u r 1 II 1 teacher lens las to board in a house near tho school r or commute from a nearby larger town In most localities the tho teach cache teacher er Cr is expected to contribute to thee tho community life yet el inmany in inmany inmany many cases restrictions are arc placed upon leer her personal free free- dom It is something to think t deeply about surely Next week we IDD will continue with Dr Fines Fine's analysis of 01 our acer rural schools II I and present some same of oJ isis his suggested remedies among them I le federal leral aid to education |