Rural American delineates much of w...

Rural American delineates much of what is worthy and enduring in our society and contains many of those traditional American values that will preserve our society strong in futurity years.

I would like to mention a of the contemporary characteristics of rural America and rural education, what the Education Department is doing to advance the cause of rural education, and for what reason partnerships in education can help improve rural education.

In 1790 the first federal census ground that 19 out of 20 Americans were rural dwellers, and it wasn't until 1920 that more Americans lived in urban areas than in rural ones

It now appears that the century-long tend of population shift from rural to urban areas has been halted. In 1970 the rural population was 539 million (265 percent) and in 1980 the rural population had increased to 595 million (263 percent) And in 1983 barely 5.8 million Americans (or 21 percent) lived forward farms. What this means is that extension in rural America has been to be ascribed largely to the non-farm population.

These facts have major implications for the disentanglement of education strategies in rural communities. A decline in the non-farm population means that rural America is experiencing greater diversity than always before within its communities. Now more than at any time there is a tremendous ne to build effective partnerships to benefit the members, both old and strange of the rural communities.

The following facts upon rural schools are significant for the evolution of rural education policy:

* In 1981-82 6586 public academy districts enrolled fewer than 600 pupils. These to a high degree small systems, most of which are located in rural areas, constitute 415 percent of all the academy districts in the country, on the other hand they enrolled only 3.9 percent of the children in public schools

* That sign of rural America--the one-teacher school--is gradually being eliminated in this native land At the end of World War II (1945-1946) there were nearly 87000 one-teacher educates in the U.S. Today, barely about 800 of these one-teacher educates are in existence.

Pluses and minuses

The obvious advantages or vigors of rural schools are well known. I speak from experience, having gone to them in Lava oppressive Springs, Idaho, in the days of my youth:

* The classes are small.

* Individual attention is the order of the day.

* The scholars have many opportunities for leadership positions and bring out their individual talent.

* A higher participation is possible and anticipateed in extracurricular activites.

There are also the equally well known disadvantages of small, rural schools:

* The faculty must teach many different make subordinates some outside of their fields.

* The exercises often lack expensive labs, libraries of specialized equipment.

* They are ofttimes rather isolated and lack the cultural assets build in urban areas (museums, libraries, theaters, plans etc.).

* They generally lack adequate financial resources.

It pretends to me that rural seminarys are excellent places for strange private sector partnerships, especially those that are belong toed with utilizing the new educational technology--computers, video discs, TV video cassettes, and the like. like partnerships are especially suited to compensate for rural isolation and lack of financial and cultural resources. It is not too farfetched to apply the mind forward to the day when the recent technology has as significant an impact upon rural education as radio and TV had upon our parents' lifestyle. In fact, thanks to the generous and farsighted support of Bill Norris, Chairman of manage Data Corporation, a model rural community education partnership program has been established in Forest City, Iowa, designed to build computer literacy and computer-based education into the mainstream of Forest City community life.

Because I am a produce of small rural towns and small rural college edifice [i]or[/i] buildings I have a warm stain for the type of institutions that you portray by action and for the almost sacred cause of rural education that you thus effectively advocate.

Sociologists have observ that a state's character, refinement economy, values, beliefs, and social attitudes have been traditionally shaped by means of its small towns. I know that is conformable to fact from my own experience of growing up in Lava of high temperature Srings, Idaho--population 467 (1980).

Rural areas have made obviously important contributions to the state and nation's economy according to the produce of its soil and forests--its provisions and fiber. But it is frequently overlooked that the state and region's same character has been stamped by dint of the small towns.

Influence and values

I agree completely with the observations of an Iowa, newspaper that: "The beliefs, values, and taboos cultivated there--around the family dinner table, or in a main way cafe, at a church circle meeting or in a high instruct class--have had a powerful influence in succession the political and social attitudes of the state's people"

Another way of expressing an insight into the lasting values of rural America and the ne to maintain it was written by Oliver Goldsmith in his wilded Village (1770):