4. What does your state constitution provide with regard to education? 5. Describe the organization of the schools in your township and county. 6. If the schools in your community are graded, when and why did the grading take place? Show how the graded system is better than the ungraded system. 7. Are the country schools consolidated in any part of your state? If so, how does the system work? 8. If you live in a city, describe in detail the organization of the city schools. Describe the board of education, number of members, term of office, powers, etc. 9. What are the qualifications prescribed for teachers in your community? How are the teachers selected? 10. Describe the work of the state board of education and that of the state superintendent in your state. II. How are the school books selected in your state? In your city? Are they free to the children? What advantages and disadvantages result from free school books? 12. What do the public schools cost your city? Your county? Your state? 13. Compare the school community of which you are a member with the community outside of the school, as suggested on page 125 of this chapter. 14. How does the government of your school differ from the government of the city or town in which you live? Why the difference? Would it be wise to make the government of the school more like that of the city? Give reasons. Look up the "school city" plan of selfgovernment in schools, and report your opinion of it (see references below). 15. What are the compulsory education laws of your state? How are truants looked after in your community? 16. What reasons can you give why the high school should be maintained at the expense of the community, in spite of the small proportional attendance and the large proportional cost? 17. Make a list of the educational agencies in your community outside of the public school. REFERENCES Hart, "Actual Government," chapter XXVIII, "Education." Dewey, John, "The School and Society." Henderson, C. R., "The Social Spirit in America," chapter XII, Social Spirit in the State School System." Boone, R. H., "Education in the United States." "The Dexter, E. G., "History of Education in the United States." Earle, Alice M., "Child Life in Colonial Days," chapters III-VI. The following articles deal with civic training in the public school: Shaw, Albert," The School City," in Review of Reviews, December, 1899. Orcutt, Hiram, "Discipline in the Home, School, and College," in Education, vol. 18 (1898), pp. 606, 614. French, C. W., "The Problem of School Government," in School Review, vol. 8 (1900), pp. 201-212. French, C. W., "The School City," in School Review, 13:33. Flower, B. C., " Bulwarking American Institutions by Practical Civic Education," in Arena, May, 1905. The National School City League has published a pamphlet on the School City, "A New System of Moral and Civic Training," at the end of which is a bibliography on the subject. The Reports of the United States Commissioner of Education, and also the Reports of the State Superintendents, or State Boards, of Education, contain useful material. CHAPTER XVI HOW THE COMMUNITY AIDS THE CITIZEN TO SATISFY HIS DESIRE FOR BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDINGS IN one important way the growth of communities has tended to destroy the beautiful surroundings of man. It Civilization destroys much beauty of VIEW OF A RIVER FRONT. Notice the unsightly sheds, the heaps of refuse, and the smoking factories. is a misfortune that much of the natural beauty of the landscape must disappear before the advance of civilization. The forest and the flowerclothed prairie are transformed into farms and building sites. The hills are cut away for the resources that they contain. The streams are lined with ugly and nature noisy factories, and clogged with refuse. The sky is obscured with smoke. The community, acting sometimes through the government and sometimes in other ways, may prevent a great deal of unnecessary destruction of the beauty of Unnecessary nature. The national government and some of destruction the states have forestry bureaus, which have of natural for their purpose the preservation of the forests. Needless pollution of streams may be checked by state beauty WEST LAKE PARK, LOS ANGELES, CAL. laws, and their natural beauty in a measure preserved by preventing dilapidated and untidy premises along their banks in cities, and in some cases by converting their banks into parks. Sentiment may be aroused among the boys, in the school and otherwise, against the killing of birds. Much natural scenery may be preserved by the creation of national and state parks, as in the case of the Yellowstone and the Yosemite. Niagara Falls is now in danger of being transformed from one of the great wonders of nature into a mere sluice for the turning of mill wheels unless the government can be induced by public sentiment to prevent it. If natural beauty tends to disappear before the growth of communities, the opportunity for art increases. Beautiful houses and imposing business blocks make their appearance. Art galleries are founded. opportuni- Religious organizations and institutions of other kinds grace the community with beautiful Community life creates ties for art By courtesy of the National Cash Register Co., Dayton, Ohio. churches and other structures. Schools cultivate the taste for beautiful things, and the people are taught how to enjoy life in ways that they could not if they lived in isolation. The place to begin beautifying the community is in the home. The citizen who is careless about the appearance of his own home is almost sure to have little interest in the appearance of the rest of the community. A home that is unsightly takes away from the Beauty in the home |