SCHOOL HOUSE PLANS.

This department has received frequent requests from school boards of this state for plans and specifications for new school houses. We have been unable to furnish them. As old school houses are being replaced with new, there is a commendable ambition so put up a better class of buildings, as to convenience, comfort and appearance. Most rural districts do not feel able to employ an architect for this purpose. They are under the impression that naturally this department must have plans for school houses to loan to such districts. It would seem to us, therefore, that the department should have a number of school house plans to be loaned to districts intending to build, and which should make requests for the same. This would result not alone in better school houses, but in an ultimate saving to the state. Said plans should provide for different styles and sizes of one-room buildings, either frame or brick, with approximate estimate of cost. They should embrace all the drawings and specifications customary in an architect's plans from which a desired number of printed copies could be made.

In the same way, plans by competent architects for two, three and four room buildings-not more-should be at the disposal of school boards through this department.

We are unable to say what such plans would cost, but believe the department should be authorized to procure them, and we respectfully call the attention of the legislature to the foregoing recommendation.

As a corollary to the foregoing, we deem it proper to call the attention of the General Assembly to the need of limiting by legal enactment, the erection of school buildings to two stories. Beside the danger in case of fire, consideration for the physical health of pupils and teachers, suggests the above recommendation.

We believe, also, that every board should be required to erect and keep two outbuildings for each school house, one for the use of each sex, and that some authority, perhaps the boards, should provide for more certain, severe and speedy punishment for the too common defacing of outbuildings and other school property with vile and immoral suggestions.

IOWA'S SCHOOL EXHIBIT AT THE WORLD'S FAIR.

The school forces of Iowa and of the entire country were deterred and discouraged from making preparations for the school exhibit by the doubt and uncertainty whether there would be acceptable and ample space assigned by the World's Fair officials for such exhibit. The space originally set apart for this purpose in the manufactures building had been so encroached upon by the demands of foreign exhibitors for additional space that American educators began to despair of having the work of our schools represented at all. Meetings of state superintendents and others interested in a school exhibit were held in Chicago to protest against what seemed the unfair treatment of these interests, and to demand the erection of a distinctive building for the educational exhibit. This was not granted, but a new building was erected to take other exhibits, and thus leave a larger portion of the space in the manufactures building, which had been assigned to the schools, and in this building the schools finally made their display. However, the delay had so dampened the enthusiasm of teachers and so shortened the time for preparing, that the exhibit was less in quantity, with fewer schools represented, than it would have been. There was a conspicuous. absence of fresh exhibits from the rural schools of our own state, and yet the work from our schools as a whole was highly creditable.

Among others the following circular letter was addressed to the teachers of the state, the edition being large enough to place one in the hands of every teacher:

IOWA'S EDUCATIONAL EXHIBIT AT THE COLUMBIAN WORLD'S FAIR.

To the Teachers and Schools of Iowa:

A circular was recently issued by a committee calling attention to a competive prize exhibit of school work, to be held at Cedar Rapids at the time of the meeting of the State Teacher's Association. The purpose of the prize

exhibit, as explained in the circular, is to induce by the stimulus of securing a prize, a larger number of schools to prepare exhibit work than would otherwise do so, the matter to remain the property of the Columbian Commission, and to form part of the educational exhibit of this state at Chicago. We reprint such portions of the general directions there given as will apply to all work, whether entered for prizes or not. Where matter is entered for a prize at Cedar Rapids, the tag should show in which class it is entered; and if designed to compete in more than one class, an additional tag should show this fact. Where work entered in one of the class exhibits is also to compete for prizes under "General Exhibit," the letter notifying Mr. J. W. Jarnagin of the entry should so state.

We suggest that where class work as a whole is to be offered, it be bound together. The tags might be prepared thus:

Pupil's name........

.Name of School....

....Total time consumed...

Grade....
Copied?...

.Age.....

We hope to see at Cedar Rapids a strong competitive exhibit in all the lines of school work mapped out in the schedule. It will form a good basis of material to go to Chicago. But for any schools not wishing to send work to Cedar Rapids, there lies the privilege of preparing matter for the exhibit at Chicago, subject to the limitations and instructions as given below. Such matter is to be properly boxed or packed, and sent, prepaid, to Des Moines, addressed to the superintendent of public instruction. It should be received here not later than February 15, 1893. A committee appointed by the manager of the educational exhibit will sort and sift the material, and send to Chicago work from each line of exhibit matter.

Striving for a prize is entirely proper, yet we hope our schools will have a still broader, more patriotic motive back of their work-the ambition to have Iowa fully represented in its educational work at Chicago; the desire to maintain the proud rank Iowa has taken in the educational field. The reflex value of the effort to send in exhibit work will be worth to the school or pupil all the labor it costs. Broadly speaking, therefore, every such effort will draw a prize in the benefit derived from the work done, whether this is entered to compete at Cedar Rapids or is sent direct to Des. Moines.

At the school exhibit at Madison, Wisconsin, Iowa took high honors. At the New Orleans Exposition our state ranked among the highest. Again, at the Paris Exposition, 1889, Iowa won a medal on its school system. Other states are making strong efforts to be well represented. Iowa must not take a backward step next year. We must not retreat. We must hold our ground. To do this, superintendents, principals and teachers, will need to take hold of the work with zeal and enthusiasm. While other exhibitors will show that our state ranks among the foremost in agricultural products, we must not only have good schools, but must prove this fact by an appropriate exhibit. All the space assigned to this state for educational purposes should be fully occupied, and enough matter sent to have an equally good school exhibit in the Iowa building. As the exhibits become worn or soiled, it should be possible for the managers to replace them with

duplicates.