OVER the period of the past decade there has been a concerted effort by educational leaders of many of our States to eliminate all small schools, public and private. They sincerely believe that only large schools can give a well-rounded education for our children and youth. While there is some merit in this concept, I do not believe that it is either necessarily true or that it is an insurmountable obstacle to the maintenance of our educational system. We are all aware of the fact that God has ordained our church schools and led in their establishment. For this reason the tendency is to sit back and do nothing constructive to maintain our educational system, believing that God will intervene.
I very definitely believe in God's leading and providences, but I also believe in the Bible principle found in Proverbs 22:3, "A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished." I believe if we are prudent we will, with all haste, put into effect the following principles to guide our church schools and prevent their closing.
1. While a church school may be maintained under some circumstances by tuition alone, it is next to impossible to maintain a truly successful church school on this basis where children of the poor may have the same privileges as the children of the more affluent. A church school of twenty-five students from a church or area having a hundred children of church school age is not truly a successful church school. I, there fore, would like to see vigorously promoted a cooperative means of providing for a large portion of the expenses of the church school. Where this has been put into effect it has proved highly successful. Let's call it a moonlighting cooperative project; the church as a whole taking part in a project to which members will contribute over and above their regular jobs. Here are a few examples that could work out:
a. In rural areas a cooperative farm or garden.
b. In urban areas a drapery shop, a counter booth in a supermarket or else where featuring home-baked goods and/ or delicatessen products. In a church where some of the members are skilled workmen the possibilities are unlimited.
(In our own church we have featured a farming project that has produced roughly one half of our church school expenses.)
2. We should strongly stress the idea of area schools rather than church schools. Bussing children would provide larger schools and more efficient teaching. Where this has been done it is highly successful.
3. All of the schools, both elementary and secondary, in a conference should be organized as one school district with one superintendent, one principal, and one school board. Each school in the conference would have at least one member on this board to carry out the formulated plans for his area. The following advantages of this are obvious:
a. A uniform curriculum in all schools of the conference.
b. Maintain one library, one group of scientific equipment, one center for audio visual equipment, et cetera.
c. Under this plan there should be one teacher to head each of the three areas that the departments of public instruction feel (and rightly so) are neglected in the small school, namely, music, science, and art.
d. The teacher-leader of each of these departments would travel from one school to another, spending from one-half day to a day at each school to outline lessons in his department (for two weeks, more or less depending on circumstances). These teachers would also take library books, scientific and audio-visual equipment, et cetera, from one school to another on a rotating basis.
4. A separate legal corporation should be set up for the purpose of holding property for the benefit of our church schools. Opportunity should be given to our members to donate or bequeath income or valuable property to be used for the schools. In many States this would have a very definite tax advantage.
5. A strong liason to be maintained be tween our department of education and the State department of education, our school system gaining strength from the State and the State becoming familiar with the advantages of our school system. Currently, most of them see only the disadvantages of our system. We would thus be able, where the proper relationship existed, to assist in writing the educational laws and extending recognition for our schools. With this kind of a positive approach we could present our program in a favorable light and gain their respect.
Summary
We need a positive approach in maintaining our church schools.
1. Cooperative efforts over and above tuition or in place of tuition to finance our schools.
2. Change our thinking from church schools to area schools.
3. Organize each conference into one school district, each local school being one unit of the district, with one curriculum and traveling teachers in special departments.
4. Form a legal corporation for the benefit of the schools, encouraging bequests and gifts.
5. Maintain a strong working relation ship with the State department of public instruction.
I recognize that this is only a very brief outline and will require a great deal of thought and leadership to put it into effect. But I believe if our schools are to survive, these principles must be activated.
