thirty-three minutes to each recitation. As suggested above, it has been known that the instruction in the graded schools of cities and towns is superior to that in the country school, and this investigation only verifies that opinion.

"Here, then, is fact No. 2 for the people of Tennessee.

"3. The inadequacy of the single-teacher school has been clearly demonstrated in this bulletin. Everywhere there is complaint of its lack of gradation, of its antiquated course of study, and the need for revising and vitalizing it; and to do this, new subjects of instruction must be added. It must be admitted that there is justice in these demands; but at the same time confession must be made that the single-teacher school cannot meet them. This conclusion has been reached not only by local school men, but thoughtful educators all over the country hold the same opinion.

"This is the third important fact set forth in this bulletin.

"The remedy proposed isc onsolidation with transportation. The movement for its establishment has been inaugurated in thirty or forty States of the Union. This bulletin sets forth the advantages of the consolidated school and its adaptation to rurallife needs. The advantages are not merely from a theoretical point of view, but the experience of counties in this State and many other states is put in evidence.

"It is not meant that the consolidated school will, by the mere fact of its establishment, solve all our school problems; but it is the consensus of opinion among leading educators that it offers possibilities of securing better teachers, more capable supervision, more modern courses of study, and a more effective appeal to the people, which will result in larger attendance, longer terms, better buildings, more adequate equipment, more attractive surroundings than can be hoped for from the singleteacher schools which now prevail.

"This, then, is the conclusion of the whole matter-the need of the consolidated school and its adaptability to our rural conditions. "If the people of the State will give these facts the intelligent consideration which they deserve, our rural-school system can be brought to an equality with the best graded schools of the State and we can realize what we have hoped for and worked

for-first-class educational opportunities for every boy and girl in the Commonwealth."

The bulletin also contains a brief history of the movement for consolidated schools in Tennessee and other sections of the country and the advantages of the new type of school. Ten thousand copies of it were issued and widely circulated. Before and since the publication we have persistently and continuously advocated the policy of consolidation of schools. In nearly every county of the State it has been set forth, not as a panacea for all our school ills, but as offering an opportunity for developing our school system. It does not mean the abandonment of all the one-teacher schools in the State. Physical conditions will make many of them necessary for years to come; but it is safe to assert that a large per cent of the small schools of the State may be grouped into larger schools greatly to the improvement of the school situation.

Consolidation or centralization of schools cannot be advocated with confidence as an independent policy. Its immediate success depends upon adequate provision for transportation facilities, and whether it is ultimately to inure to the benefit of the rural districts depends upon the type of instruction which shall be given in the centralized school.

There can be no wisdom in closing small schools if thereby educational opportunities are to be placed at too great distance from the country children. The one risk of failure in the consolidated schools lies right here, and its success is only assured when provisions are made for hauling distant children from their homes to school. When the two go together the element of risk and danger vanishes and the attendance and interest in the new institution are greatly increased. This is not a statement of theory, but universal experience attests its truth.

I am glad to state that the movement for consolidation of schools is already making headway in Tennessee. A number of counties have for several years been working on the plan, and two counties especially, Shelby and Madison, have provided transportation facilities for their children. During the present fall three other counties have begun the experiment of hauling children to schoo!-Weakley, Cheatham and Rhea-and from all of them comes the gratifying report that the undertaking is successful and satisfactory.

Consolidation, as above intimated, will not solve all our school problems, it is only one item in a general program of school development; but, in my opinion-and I think I express the opinion of the best thought on the country school situation today -it will be impossible to provide an adequate system of schools for the country districts until we have entered upon this policy of consolidation of schools and transportation of pupils in real

earnestness.

Again quoting the bulletin on the Rural School situation, the following program is suggested for the improvement of country schools. It is realized that there is nothing essentially new or original about it, merely an attempt being made to set forth a program or platform, in more or less definite form, to be worked out as rapidly as conditions will permit.

THE RURAL SCHOOL-A PROGRAM FOR ITS IMPROVEMENT.

AIMS.

1. A General One. To give a rural coloring to the whole ruralschool process.

2. A Particular One. To afford the opportunity for vocational training in occupations peculiar to rural life.

The rural school should function so satisfactorily and effectively for rural life that the tendency among boys and girls educated therein should be to remain on the farm.

PLATFORM.

1. The Teacher. Professionally trained. Forty-five counties of the State have established high schools, a number of them of the first-class. The State Normal schools are in successful operation. The chief argument used to secure. their establishment was the need of a trained teaching. force and the certainty of their supplying it. The time has come when Boards of Education can consistently demand trained teachers and can make a minimum scholastic requirement of four years' high-school work. At the same time the normal-school courses and those for

teachers in high schools should be adapted to the training of rural teachers. The normal schools and the high schools will defeat the very purpose of their establishment unless they make some direct and valuable contribution to the rural elementary schools.

2. Buildings. Modern, sanitary, comfortable, attractive, with suitable furnishings, adequate equipment, accessible playgrounds, and sufficient acreage for agricultural teaching.

BOND ISSUES.

Bond issues are absolutely necessary, it having long since been demonstrated that ordinary annual revenues are insufficient.

3. Course of Study. Graded, revised, vitalized, related to life, growing out of life's needs, functioning for them.

(1) Correlation of English with nature study and agriculture. (2) Text-book in arithmetic dealing largely with quantitative aspects of rural life.

(3) Other subjects of the school course to bear more directly upon rural life.

(4) Agriculture and domestic science introduced as rapidly as possible into the grades.

4. Consolidation and Transportation. The need of a larger school unit for teaching and supervisory purposes is imperative. To secure this, single-teacher schools should be abandoned, and schools with three or four or five rooms, with transportation facilities provided, should be established at strategic and easily accessible points.

5. Supervision. Frequent, persistent, competent.

(1) County Superintendents with longer terms, not engaged in any other occupation, chosen because of fitness and not necessarily a resident of county when elected.

(2) Assistant County Superintendents having special charge of agricultural and domestic science work; head of Department of Agriculture in central high school and supervisor and director of agriculture and domestic science in elementary schools.

(3) Elementary school inspector in each Grand Division, to work with and under general direction of the State Superintendent and State Elementary School Inspector.

(4) County Supervisors with specific districts not too large for efficient work.

6. High Schools.

(1) Some high-school work in consolidated schools, these being correlated with

(2) Central high school, with four years' genuine high-school work; agriculture and domestic science departments in the high schools as thoroughly organized, as well equipped as any other departments of the school.

(3) Demonstration farms—at least one in the county in connection with the high school.

(4) Corn clubs for boys and canning and poultry clubs for girls in every county high school, which as rapidly as possible should be extended to other schools. This club work should be supervised by State and county officials. By establishing them in the school and making intelligent use of government bulletins, we have at hand a most effective means of beginning real agriculture and domestic science teaching in all our schools.

7. Compulsory Attendance. With such a system as here outlined, attendance will naturally increase. But to protect the State against illiteracy, to secure an intelligent electorate, all its boys and girls should attend school, and force should be exerted when the ordinary attractions of the school fail.

8. School Term. Minimum of six months, gradually growing to nine, with its industrial work extending through the whole year.

c. Medical Inspection. The value of inspection has been demonstrated, wherever tried. A State-wide law is necessary, which counties can put into operation as fast as conditions warrant.

10. Community Co-operation. Not only by sympathy and financial support, but by active participation in the school