Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-01-26
T. l.aysp Russell, John " Hrmts, J. ~ Ciarp, ard
Ina u {, U0tSOH:

To .lsdyeu Russell, John " Hrmts, J. ". Ciorp, ard
.Jn0 ". {. Tatson:
GEyrLEMES 10 meet the request with which you
have honced me- transmit far publication, some Sta
ust!c, Conclusions and Suggestions, upon Uniform
System, Of Pubic Instruction in Virginia Courtesy,
personal inclination aud desire TO be useful 10
Sta,e, urge me.
Before yourselves need no, labor the patriotism or
importance OF the Ubl'ciTo the Public, shall DO IT
b,,tlv and IN course.
Nv matter shall be relevant and short, candid and
faithful As,o its sources have taken from who
did Mt profess philanthropy and if they connected
thoughts iO the people good they will rejoice when
ASSIST IN extending their operation, and will rest ccnsut
when assure them, that IT will much impede my pro.
gess, if stop explain the pedigree and ownership Of
tie ID, as rSe
Hos much Education have now in Virginia:-
How many places Of instruction, and how many persons
al schou:
scarcity of statistics embarrasses these enquiries:
the wise Legislator e1nines the defects and Deficiencies
OF he cd law and the provisions and promises OF the
remedy proposed, but this subject shrouding Itself in
lis doTkness preliminary legislation is needed 10
collect the details Of admitted evils, that the People
and the Assembly may Understand and defuvely act
Statue books and reports gaz~iee-s and qnes,Inns
give the bu; iI!s r@agr' arswet:-ihe Unlv"rst? and
nv Colleges have inJ vdua! gifts ni $ii. G00-State
gratis SOL UJJ--To,ol, SSiS.UID Annual rents Ss5
I5J-Sta,c appropriation So $>S-TGi,ion fees SIS,
giGio,D annual expenditure FOX education, with in;e
rest investments, Sll5 1C1. Pupils 700, at S3S
lrciviGua! gifts, SIS 60 from the State-ro,H
Sl@c Utj-i Annual rents 81 I22-Sruie appropriations
$.-O- fulIun f. $50. lGO-Tptai annual expenditure
ioF scncai'"n, with interest on investments $4,000
Pupils loOD. at $50 2o-ayetage number Of pupils
t'Ityfvt and five sev.nhs - lr one hundred and ele-
ven c"""i's, last year jlr37 there thousand
hhe huncitd and seventy common schools - State
appropriations So cc2-Fufs, during the whole ten
E'ohths' aH''age $500, al SIP District schools four
counties t"tiy-srvenS'alc appropriation $50 ndl-
vldual fees Si,c1l-Pups 13 avrrac,rp abou, I6 To
school, at 81 co. Tie average ages OF pupils in SIX.
teen counties, was from seven one erh,L 10 fifteen
ana nan years old The average number Of years a,
school Tor one Individual aud one eiuh,h -
Besides the above, there two Theolnric.I Schools
one Medical School besides that at the University and
ore Military School have found academies and schoois
enumerated bs name; but | know not if in operation
30 Frm 1863 TO 1896 the Legislature ncorDora,sJ
a9an' lI2 academies and oos-Emory and Henry
So'Ge winch g"cs into operation spring and the
western University al Wheeling. and Jefferson Cuipge
IN Amelia county, not organized.
nus it appears that the State has given S4lI leo 10
i'"cauon ana afP!orr!aes annually, with unrcnl,ted
interest. SlU7 200
AS GAIA IN Washington county there are tliry-seven
tC"'p' A'epng ct school The whole 10 months about 7
PuP's-oF IL TO schcol, and l-20 of The population.
III Inc same county IS district schools keep the hole
~ MONTHS 12o pupils, or Is in o school In hlecken.
ou'g county " common schools have 900 pupiis-ave-
rage OF each school 6 Four academies have l3O-ave.
Ise 'Il2 That county has sixty six schools, with |,
t"F"s-d'staSe IL IN each school, or 1-lSth OF It's
pupuIaIon
IN The whole Stale, there are 80 900 poor children of
WHOM i'o0C 60 TO scboo-key acreage s1ty-t.co days
U"s"aanes only 10 an indiriduat The year.
such are the ony statistics of the means of lnstruc.
Voc 10 virginia, that laborious search has supplied
"uG" OF tins with regard the property invested for
'''UeHi'es, aud the amount of tuition fees upon
ESTIMATION | confne myself 10 academies and schools
IN lie question of the number of pupils instructed. My
tsha!rs are generous One hundred academies in ope.
a'n at the average Of 49, give $500 through the
a"o lhy Two hundred schools, at The average OF Ia,
give 'i4Vo, or about 5000 between ll3ih and l-l4th
ou' present white population OF 767 ,oOO-and less
'"an one individual 10 a square mile, at school
~" 'huch education is given to this NUMBER ne
eaGehits have high and extensive COURSES OF studies
" ,"e!t 10y laws, but many OF them disncty report,
"U as lhe complaints of others, of being compelled by
p'ey 10 cheap masters, prove great proportion must
'ch but "EeadIng writing and arllhmetic-that Jack
Nobody Of school inetficency. The law requires o!
masters, to whom State poor children sent, 'nohng
oelohd ability 10 read, write and cipher we'll" The
S'oks reported in USE, in Of the counties, will
"auiy infringe upon this limitations they bound and
QUO" The extent OF instruction, and only (mark, too,
M want OF uniformity in sixty. -four cnunes) 26 differ
t headers. different Grammurs, ii different Arith-
s'enl Spelling books. In three four countless there
eie used abridged Histories in one, there is book
surveying, reporled in one, Blsrs Rhetoric; and in
Nv, :, or three, there Biographies Of Washington and
ria'lon In ;he same county there often three or
lop d'fsteG English Grammars, and three four diff.
efeht Arithnetics Walkers Dictionary is generally
reported. This miserable little all tina, proud Yirgi.