about forty young men have been pursuing the course. The work is so arranged and the subjects divided so that one unit in each year of the high school is provided as an elective. The work in this high school has been very attractive and very successful during the year. The special teacher has been re-engaged and the outlook is most encouraging. The whole county is interested and attracted to the school more than ever before. It is probable that at least six other high schools will introduce the agricultural course during the coming year. This marks a new departure in public education and the introduction of these courses will undoubtedly stimulate an interest in other vocational subjects and lead to the enlargement and enrichment of the general high school course of study used in the state. It is too early to predict with any degree of certainty what the ultimate effect of this departure will be. It is certain that the introduction of vocational courses will afford an opportunity for practical application of the theories and plans of work in language, geography, science and mathematics and thus add interest to the regular curriculum of the public school. There will also result a new attitude to the useful arts and occupations of mankind and we shall in a measure be able to reap educational rewards never before made possible in any public school system. Under the law authorizing the establishment of rural high schools the township of Mundy in Genesee county has organized such a school. This with the Rural High Schools. one established last year in Excelsior township, Kalkaska county, makes two townships which have taken advantage of this law. So far as we can learn, the work of the rural high school thus far has consisted in the introduction of two additional grades of work and the plan is to extend the work until a full four-year course is in operation. It is not to be expected that the organization of such schools will suit everybody or that the law will be made to cover every possible point in connection with the administration thereof. The new legislation of 1909 will undoubtedly give an impetus to the organization of such schools. During the year five new county normal training classes have been organ County ized, making in all forty-one in the state. About one thousand students have been enrolled in these classes and will graduate and begin the work of teaching in the rural schools with the opening of the next school year. This addition to the rural teaching corps of the state will raise the percentage of trained teachers in rural schools to about thirty-three and one-third per cent. With a new public spirit aroused on the part of the patrons of the rural schools, with increased zeal on the part of school officers and the large increase in the number of trained teachers will come an improvement in the administration of the affairs of the rural schools. There are many conditions still existing which should be improved but in the main the trend of public opinion is in the right direction. School In the last annual report we made mention of the policy of holding school officers' meetings in the several counties of the state and up to December 31, 1907, meetings had been held in eight counties. This work was continued in the winter and spring of next year and meetings were held in forty counties. The attendance ranged from fifty to three hundred and twenty-five, according to the size of the county. The meetings held in St. Clair county and in St. Joseph county were the largest. In every case we found an intense interest on the part of the school officers. Opportunity was given for general discussion and criticism and in our judgment the meetings were of great value. Two lines of work were presented, one along the line of school management, school sanitation and improvement; the other along the line of a better understanding of the general school laws of the State. It is our purpose to continue the plan of holding these meetings in the counties of the state and reach all the counties as rapidly as possible. Our people will recognize the fact that Michigan is a large territory to cover and that it takes time to arrange and execute a policy of this kind. In every county a permanent organization of the officers was formed and many meetings have been held during the latter part of the period covered by this report. Law. I am pleased to report that the truancy law has in the main been well enforced in all our counties and cities with the result Truancy of materially increasing the attendance and the number of those who complete the eighth grade. At the time of our last report there were about fifty graded and city schools having savings banks. During the year this number has been materially increased and the reports of superintendents show School that this departure is extremely valuable as it teaches the children Banks. habits of thrift and economy as well as giving them a knowledge of business procedure and forms. Savings The following publications have been prepared and issued Department by the Department and distributed to commissioners, teachers Publicaand school patrons: tions. (a) Examination Circular No. 8, giving the rules and regulations concerning the eighth grade examination; (b) Bulletin No. 16, giving general regulations concerning teachers' examinations; (c) Circular No. 11, explaining the several teachers' certificates granted, in this state; (d) Circular No. 12, giving explicit instructions in regard to bonds of school treasurers; (e) Circular No. 6, presenting the Arbor Day proclamation of the Governor together with general suggestions to teachers in regard to its observance; (f) County Normal Bulletin No. 1 for the current year, giving general regulations concerning the organization, management and course. of study for the county normal training classes; (g) Bulletin No. 13, containing a digest of the laws and legal forms for the school officers of Michigan; (h) A bulletin giving a list of children's books for the school libraries of Michigan; (i) (j) Bulletin No. 27, giving an elementary laboratory study in soils by Bulletin No. 28, containing an elementary course in horticulture by (k) Bulletin No. 30, A Study of the Grounds and Architecture of the Schools of Michigan; (1) Bulletin No. 31, Special Day Programs and Selections for the Public (m) Bulletin No. 32, a bulletin on the township unit system of schools; Schools; (p) Bulletin No. 23, Summary of School Legislation for the Session of 1909. (q) A revision of the State Course of Study, eighth edition. The revised Course of Study presents the work of the rural schools in a concise and modern form. It contains many valuable suggestions and also much material along the line of commercial arithmetic, geography, history and physiology and we trust that it will prove to be valuable and useful for all rural school teachers. I would especially advise that all rural school boards in the state should formally adopt this Course of Study for use in their schools. In doing this they will comply with section 4680 of the School Laws which requires boards of education to specify the studies to be pursued in their schools. These publications have been distributed as stated above and it is our observation that they prove a valuable addition to the equipment of schools and teachers. In addition to the foregoing brief review of educational matters in the state I attach herewith a summary of statistical information in order to give a general view of our school conditions and school expenses. SUMMARY OF STATISTICS FOR 1908-9. 1. School Census... 2. Total Enrollment... 3. Enrollment in Graded Schools.. 4. Enrollment in Ungraded Schools.. 5. Percentage of Attendance.... 6. Total Number of Teachers.. 7. Number Employed in Graded Schools.. 8. Number Employed in Ungraded Schools. 9. Total Teachers' Wages... 10. Average Wages for Men per Year. 11. Average Wages for Women per Year.. 12. Non-resident Tuition.... 13. Average Number of Months School in Graded and City Districts..... 14. Average Number of Months in Ungraded Districts.. 15. Primary Money Apportioned. . . 16. One Mill Tax... 17. District Taxes.. 18. Library Money.. 19. Loans... 20. Other Sources.. 21. Cash.. 22. Per Capita Cost per Year by School Census.. 23. Per Capita Cost per Year by Enrollment... 24. Expenses for Several State Educational Institutions for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1908: University of Michigan: (a) Paid from State funds... (b) Paid from other sources-tuition, productive funds, etc.... 747,276 529,352 314,470 214,882 .72 17,407 8,755 8,652 $7,688,309 31 $606 93 $414 83 $134,608 00 9.4 7.4 $6,138,458 74 901,211 78 5,234,851 13 176,328 21 1,177,888 25 1,186,794 31 8,595,740 99 17 69 24 98 $667,351 61 436,748 62 The question as to whether it is advisable to consolidate small rural districts into larger areas has been under discussion in Michigan since 1901. The subject was presented to the people of Michigan by State Superintendent Delos Fall, and various reports have been printed and furnished to the school patrons of the State since that time. The members of granges, farmers' clubs, and other rural organizations have given the matter careful consideration. Like all other new questions, time is required for the people to under In Other stand and act. The consolidating of rural schools has made. rapid progress in Ohio, Iowa, and other Western States. In Indiana, the prevalence of the township system has made the consolidation of schools practically unnecessary. The agitation in that State has been along the line of establishing township high schools, free to all the residents of the township. In It is possible that the people of Michigan are more conservative than those of other States, but it has been my observation that when once convinced of the practicability of a new idea, our people Michigan. move as rapidly as any others. Since this matter has been presented, there have been many small consolidations; that is, consolidations covering two districts, or one district and part of another. This has brought about the establishment of about three hundred two-room rural schools and seventy-five three-room rural schools in the state. Such consolidations permit the introduction of courses of study covering nine or ten grades, and thus the educational opportunities of those communities are materially increased. There have been a number of larger consolidations which have produced good results. I give herewith the reports for the current year of the three best examples of consolidation in Michigan. These reports are made by the superintendents of schools, or the commissioners, in all cases. Grand tion. The first place in Michigan to consolidate and transport pupils was in Grand Blanc Township, in 1903. At that time district No. 4 (Cook School) united with the village district, and district Township. No. 7 (Porter School) combined with them the following year. Pupils from the two districts that disbanded are brought to the consolidated school by two teams. The farthest that any pupil rides is four miles. The hacks start for school at 7:45, and arrive not later Method of than 8:50. They leave the school at 4:00, and arrive at their Transporta- homes at 5:00. Good drivers are employed, and order is maintained at all times. One driver has been at work continuously for five years. On the other route they have the second driver since 1903. The drivers furnish their complete outfit, hacks, horses, blankets, etc., and each driver receives $350 per year. The first three years the cost per driver was only $250 per year. However, since the cost of produce (oats and hay) has increased, the price per driver was increased $100 per year. There have always been several applicants for driver on each route. Some of the advantages derived from transportation are as follows: Promptness and punctuality, healthier children because of the protection in going to and coming from school. Each of the drivers lives near the farthest end of the route, and can take a short route home after delivering the children at the school. The drivers spend from four to five hours per day in this work. They live on small farms (from twenty to forty acres) and have plenty of time to work these farms. Considerable space is given to the question of transportation, but only to prove that it is not an experiment but has been in successful operation in the State for a period of six years. Grand Blanc has a three-room school containing over one hundred pupils, including all the grades from the first to the eleventh. Their district has over a half million dollars assessed valuation. The rate of taxation is two mills on a dollar, besides a tax of one mill for building fund. At the time of the consolidation a two thousand Interesting |