Lone Tree School fire is a huge loss

The Lone Tree School burned to the ground last week. It is to cry - that beautiful old school with its genuine slate boards and built with the quality of craftsmanship no longer seen.

A century and a quarter of history and school memories are now gone.

I hope the authorities catch the culprits responsible if it was intentionally set on fire, although they will never be able to replace or restore what has been lost forever because of carelessness, vandalism or maybe even criminal arson.

I have a particular love and respect for those old one-room schools.

I attended them all eight years of my elementary education and it was a good education. Those old schools, crowded and simple as they often were, had a great deal to commend them including teaching a sense of community and getting along with neighbors.

Small children watched older children reciting and answering questions.

The young ones absorbed what they heard so they halfway knew the lessons by the time they reached the advanced grades. They all yearned to be big kids so they would have the status, privileges and abilities of the older kids. This motivated and encouraged all the children to learn.

The combination of children of all ages and backgrounds in one room was excellent exposure socially. The children learned, had to learn, to get along with children outside their own peer group. Ideally, the younger ones respected the older children, who, in turn, learned to help those smaller and weaker than themselves.

Districts were small and local so parents readily took part in what went on in the schools, demanding top-quality teachers. This assured that only the really good teachers remained and resulted in students receiving a top-quality education.

Those old one-room schools were economical, too. Often built by local people or companies, they were aware of the need for economy and took interest in school facilities, upkeep and education. And without waste.

I saw children with disabilities learn to read - if not well, at least they read what they could understand.

One room schools?

Yes, they had some real advantages.