Rural education in the Southern United States is discussed in sections on the social and economic role of education, problems in Southern rural society, the importance of material resources, and concluding recommendations. Education is perceived as: improving the quality of recipients' lives; providing a ranking system which fits children into the social system; transmitting values; determining industrial locations; and being the chief method whereby people acquire the skills, knowledge, and capacities for participation in the labor market. Among problems cited in Southern rural society are: an apathetic outlook toward the educational process exists among Southern rural peoples; poverty is an ever-present problem for rural Southern schools; because migration to urban areas remains high, rural Southern governments are especially reluctant to finance education, feeling that they are supporting a travel subsidy. Educational issues listed are consolidation, traditional practices, private academies, and low achievement of rural Southern students. The main conclusion noted from studies on the importance of material resources is that factors influencing student achievement are very complex and that no single approach is likely to produce significant results across the board. Recommendations are given concerning professional preparation of teachers and administrators, development of the rural South, the content of rural education, and minorities. (BRR)