Effective cooperation between rural school patrons and the schools

Abstract

In 1909, ten states had commissions searching out the causes of the wretched condition of schools in the country and villages. While the city schools have improved their courses of study, erected fine buildings, and are under careful supervision, the country schools have made but little progress in the last thirty years. The Commission emphasizes throughout the report the need of community effort and the great necessity of learning to work together, and this is the point which the author would emphasize in this partial solution of the problem - the cooperation of rural school patrons and the schools. Of the county superintendents who reported on the most pressing educational needs of their counties, 33 percent answered directly that cooperation between school patrons and the schools was needed. A large percent of the remainder mentioned needs that could be easily remedied if cooperation did exist. The one great thing needed is an outline of some definite method of procedure. The writer believes that there are three great factors in the solution of this problem - the county superintendent, the teacher, and the patrons. Each factor has its own special function to perform - each of them is of equal importance, yet none of them can succeed in solving the problem alone. They must have the assistance and cooperation of the others. The following paper is therefore divided into three sections reflecting these groups. The study is further supplemented with illustrations and with a section on "A Study of Problems in Macon County."