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Show Good Teachers, Supported by flie People, Are Greatest Asset Rural Schools Have The greatest asset our small community and rural schools possess is the men and ivomen ivlio devote themselves ivhole-heartedly ivhole-heartedly to the task of teaching our children the things we want them to know. Yet, too often they, as well as the children chil-dren themselves, are compelled to work under handicaps which are imposed mainly by a lack of adequate funds. Money, in this case, does indeed A wMWfMM-'STffiST wMWfMM-'STffiST FEATURE talk; and ichere it is available in the form of a satisfactory school budget, it speaks the language of educational progress. That section of the 1950 Census Cen-sus report dealing with family income in-come casts some factual light on tliis serious subject. Comparisons of the medians for various population popu-lation groups bring out significant differences between those groups with reference to the problem of educational facilities. For example, the median family income for urban or city families was $3,068; for rural non-farm families, $2,-462, $2,-462, tvhile for rural farm families it ivas $1,462. Although the income for the farm families appears to be surprisingly loiv, it must be kept in mind that these figures represent money income only. They do not include the value of farm produce consumed at home and other income in kind which farmers normally enjoy and which are an integral part of their high standard of living. The figures do, however, reflect the relative lack of monetary support available to rural and small community scliools. F or many years educational authorities and experts have been decrying the low financial support and "general neglect" neg-lect" of rural schools. In any event, the fact that one-sixth of our total population lives in rural farm territory, plus the present high rate of mobility among the American people, peo-ple, makes it clear that rural schools need to be strengthened. Simply stated, it means that these schools must keep up with the normal social and technological advances that constantly are being achieved. Tins implies a continued strengthening of the school district system, better financing, wise leadership and supervision, super-vision, better housing and equipment, and a high caliber of teaching service in the rural schools. This last is the most human and at the same time possibly the most difficult problem prob-lem of all. What profit and satisfaction can the teacher anticipate from the field of rural education? W. M. Wilks, writing in the "Oklahoma Teacher" asked himself what he found so attractive about rural schools and came up ivith this sound and thoughtful ansicer: "I like rural boys and girls. While rural children are very much the same as other children, they exhibit certain differences tirising from background and training. These differences must be realized in working ivith them. I think the rural teacher has a better opportunity oppor-tunity to guide pupils and aid them in overcoming their difficulties. There is no greater satisfaction for any teacher than to see the results of his efforts in the groivth in character char-acter of his pupils. "1 like rural people. I like their sincerity and friendliness. When I started teaching in rural TT, if IIM1 schools, I kneic nearly everyone within a radius of 10 miles of the school in less than three weeks. I also like rural people because they usually icelcome a visit from the teacher. They are nearly always cooperative tchen talking over a problem concerning their children. "I like to live in the country. A community party, a fox hunt, dinner ivith a neighbor, or a conversation about crop j)rospects furnish more recreation and relaxation, at least to me, than anything the city has to offer. "Il thrills me when a member of the community introduces intro-duces me to a friend as toi;r teacher. I am proud to be a country schoolteacher |