Rural Education in the United

Rural Education in the United States plays a major role in preparing children for their future careers. This aspect of education is extremely important, as it pertains to a large sector of American society. Indeed, in order to ensure the well-being of the future American society and workforce, the needs of rural communities and their education needs to be addressed via both legislation, funding and policy. Rural education entails several problems, but there are also advantages that can work concomitantly with legislation to address these problems. Perceived problems and advantages are then considered in terms of Teaching Standard #3: "Teachers understand that children learn differently. The teacher understands how pupils differ in their approaches to learning and the barriers that impede learning and can adapt instruction to meet the diverse needs of pupils, including those with disabilities and exceptionalities."

Advantages of Rural Education

Rural class numbers tend to be smaller than those in urban areas. This helps the teacher to pay closer attention to the needs and abilities of each individual student. Needs and abilities are also more easily identified, as children are less prone to vanishing among a large group of classmates. This enables the teacher to more easily meet the needs and demands of such students.

2. Smaller numbers of children in a classroom makes group division and work easier to handle. Students can be organized in a variety of group compositions in order to meet the identified needs and challenges of each. In tasks where skills are learned for the first time, for example, children with similar learning abilities can be grouped together. In a smaller class, the teacher has more time to move from group to group and address the specific needs of each group. Tasks that are repeated for reinforcement purposes, children with varying learning abilities can be grouped together in order to help each other in the learning process. The teacher can also more easily assess each learner's ability to function within a certain group and help the learning process accordingly.

3. In rural areas, there is generally a closer sense of community life than in fairly large urban areas. This is also true of the connection between rural schools and their community, as is the case with Pennsylvanian rural schools (Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools, (2006). This can be advantageous in the learning process inside the classroom. Children tend to be more tolerant of classmates from varying backgrounds and learn more easily from each other. This also facilitates the above-mentioned group work.

4. The sense of community extends beyond the classroom environment itself; the general rural community tends to be more actively involved in schooling than in urban areas. This could help in legislation and grant applications. Community leaders for example can help schools obtain funding for specific equipment to meet the needs of children.

5. Another aspect of community involvement is the opportunity for field and community work. In rural areas, learners can raise their awareness not only of the specific needs within the classroom, but also of the needs of others by becoming involved in community projects. In this way, their capacity for caring is integrated with the learning process, and the above-mentioned paradigm for tolerance and caring is enhanced.

Furthermore, rural area schooling also offers opportunities for learning about the environment and how natural resources should be protected and cultivated to ensure future sustainability. This, like community projects, can then be integrated with the learning process in terms of academic areas such as the natural sciences. An example of this is the Prairie Science Program by the Fergus Falls Public Schools (Minnesota Rural Education Association, 2006), through which children integrated academic learning with field and environmental experience.

Perceived Problems of Rural Education

1. According to a policy brief prepared by McClure, Redfield and Hammer (2003), one of the most significant perceived problems in rural education is that of teacher education and the resulting teaching standard in these areas. Because the teacher salaries in rural areas are generally lower than in urban areas, more highly educated teachers tend to opt for positions in urban areas. A possible lack of proper education can then influence a teacher's ability to identify the specific needs of all learners. Some for example may have specialized learning barriers that require a particular method of education. Once identified, a less highly trained teacher may also not have the necessary training to handle the specific needs of such a learner. This impacts upon the preparation of learners for the labor market.

2. Financial limitations within rural education also impacts upon the physical equipment and learning aids that teachers and learners have access to. Some special needs children and those with disabilities for example require specialized equipment to help them optimize their learning experience. A lack of funds impacts negatively upon the learning needs of such learners.

3. A lack of funding in urban areas also impacts negatively upon children with special learning abilities, which places them above the level of their peers in terms of academic results. Like children with disabilities, these children also need special learning equipment to help them excel in the learning environment. Technological resources such as the Internet, library and other research resources may not be adequate to handle the needs of these children.

4. Another perceived problem of rural education is that teachers in these areas may adhere to more traditional teaching methods. Teachers in such areas may for example be more likely to come from a rural education themselves. Concomitantly with a general lack of quality teaching education, this may be a factor in a lack of recognition in terms of Standard #3. Traditional methods may include elements such as lecturing rather than discussion and textbook learning rather than experiential, field learning.

5. The traditional teaching paradigm may be reinforced by parental and community involvement in educating children. Like rural teachers, the likelihood of parents having grown up in a traditional, rural education is high. This, along with the fact that there is a high level of community involvement in school education, may encourage the paradigm of traditional classroom practices. Furthermore, the parents of children with special needs or abilities may not themselves recognize these learning needs in their children. Their involvement in the education process may further discourage truly meeting or even recognizing such needs.

Conclusion

From the above, it is interesting to note that may of the possible advantages of rural school education could also be problematic when viewed from a different angle. This indicates that many perceived problems of rural education might be fairly easily changed to advantages with the necessary commitment of all role players.