If there should seem to be a note of despair in some of the earlier chapters as to the desired outcome of the problems of rural life and the rural school, it is not intended that such impression shall be complete and final. An attempt is made simply to place the problem and the facts in their true light before the reader. There has been much "palavering" on this subject, as there has been much enforced screaming of the eagle in many of our Fourth of July "orations." I feel that the first requisite is to conceive the problems clearly and in all seriousness. If these problems are to be solved, true conceptions of _values_ must be established in the social mind. Many present conceptions, like those of the _personality_ of the teacher, _standards_ for teaching, _supervision_, school _equipment_, _salary_, etc., must first be _dis_-established, and then higher and better ones substituted. There will have to be a genuine and intelligent "tackling" of the problems, and not, as has been the case too often, a mere playing with them. There will have to be some real statesmanship introduced into the present _laissez-faire_ spirit, attitude, and methods of American rural life and rural education. The nation in this respect needs a trumpet call to action. There is need of a chorus, loud and long, and if the small voice of the present discussion shall add only a little--however little--to this volume of sound, there will be so much of gain. This is my aim and my hope. JOSEPH KENNEDY THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER I. RURAL LIFE 9 A generation ago; Chores and work; Value of work; Extremes; Yearly routine; Disliked in comparison; Other hard jobs; Harvesting; Threshing; Welcome events; Winter work; What the old days lacked; The result; The backward rural school; Women's condition unrelieved; The rural problem must be met; Facilities. CHAPTER II. THE URBAN TREND 19 Cityward; Attractive forces; Conveniences in cities; Urbanized literature; City schools; City churches; City work preferred; Retired farmers; Educational centers; Face the problem; Educational value not realized; Wrong standard in the social mind; Rural organization; Playing with the problem. CHAPTER III. THE REAL AND THE IDEAL SCHOOL 28 The building; No system of ventilation; The surroundings; The interior; Small, dead school; That picture and this; Architecture of building; Get expert opinion; Other surroundings; Number of pupils; It will not teach alone; The teacher; A good rural school; The problem. CHAPTER IV. SOME LINES OF PROGRESS 38