Why We Should Preserve a Country School
by Lucy F. Townsend, Ph.D., Executive Director, Country School Association of America
Saving Milan Township District #83
Restoring a country school and programming it for the public can be both expensive and labor-intensive. Take, for example, the reconstruction of the Milan Township District #83 country school on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. Most of the $125,000 needed to complete the project came from cash and in-kind donations, but the work was only beginning when the school opened in 1999. We quickly learned that we needed a curriculum that met Illinois learning standards for public school students, volunteers or staff to serve as docents, and more funds for the upkeep of the building.
Was the Project Worth It?
After more than a decade since the school opened its doors, it is time for reflection. Was the project worth the investment of so much money and time? As the curator of the school, I would say emphatically, YES! The country school has contributed significantly to the learning experiences of thousands of public and private schoolchildren, college and university students, as well as members of local clubs, families, and church groups. Thus, I believe it is a valuable asset to our community. Following are three of the most obvious benefits.
Learning Through Historical Investigation
Students who visit a one-room school are often motivated to begin their own study of the educational experiences of their families and friends. Typically, these students raise a number of questions about life in a country school. Teachers can use such questions to help students learn how to explore the schooling experiences of earlier generations and express new knowledge in creative forms, for example, stories, poetry, songs, and plays. They can also use the knowledge to make presentations. Such activities can be used to meet a number of important state learning standards: to ask meaningful questions, collect information, organize it, communicate it in writing and present it orally to larger groups. What distinguishes such learning activities from many others is their relevance to the students’ personal lives. Students of all ages engaged in discovering new knowledge about the education of family members, friends and neighbors from earlier generations often comment that these exploratory tasks are both meaningful and rewarding.
Education in a Democracy
A second reason is that country school visits can be used to help students understand why they go to school. Few of today’s children realize that America has led the world in attempting to provide public education for all its children. Many American children take schooling for granted. They are amazed to learn that millions of children around the world have no access to schooling at all. According to UNESCO, 1 billion (26%) of the world’s adult population is illiterate. For most of our nation’s history, American children received 8 years of schooling in simple structures built and managed by elected adults from the local community. Over 200,000 of these schools once provided millions of American children with the opportunity to acquire the basic skills for gainful employment and the knowledge to participate in a democratic form of government.
America's Commitment to Free Public Education
It is important to discuss with each generation of children our nation’s commitment to universal education, but it is a more powerful learning experience for them to enter a country school building and sit in the seats once occupied by children from an earlier generation. Visitors who role play life in a country school are stimulated by the schoolhouse itself to ask questions about the school’s purposes, the ages of the children who attended, the kinds of activities they were likely to have, and what we might have learned from their experiences. Students who compare and contrast a country school with their own schools are encouraged to think more deeply about what and why they are going to school, what they may gain from what they are learning there, and whether current local schools are effective sites for learning.
Sharing Experiences Across the Generations
Third, country schools can foster meaningful dialogue across the generations. A criticism often lodged against today’s public schools is that they are so large and diverse that they lack shared commitments and ties to the community. Participation in a local country school can be used to foster dialogue among people in families and others in the school’s community. Community members who attended a country school can be invited to share their experiences, and students can be encouraged to research the educational activities of their parents, grandparents, and/or neighbors.
A Sound Investment for Today's Children!
Is a public school district’s investment in the reconstruction of a country school worth the time and money? I believe it can be. The reconstructed Milan Township Distrcit #83 school has contributed significantly to the education of thousands of students in the public schools of northern Illinois, as well as numerous university students taking classes in educational history, museum education, outdoor education, and theatre arts. Our country school is a symbol of NIU’s commitment to the history of the local community and its early schools. It has contributed to meeting state standards, has fostered meaningful dialogue about the purposes of American schools, and has contributed to cross-generational understanding.
Team Up to Save a Schoolhouse
Yet a public school district that is struggling to keep all its programs in operation due to declines in local and state funding may wonder if it has the necessary resources to preserve a country school. If so, it is suggested that the district form partnerships with local historical societies and park districts. One institution may lack the resources to carry the burden, but two or more may manage the challenge very well. Working together, they can broaden and deepen the entire community’s commitment to American education for all children.
For more information on the Milan Schoolhouse and the Blackwell History of Education Museum visit MILAN and BLACKWELL today!
Comments