The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1845-12-17
EDUCATION CONVENTION

fore the Convention. We learn from tho En-.
quirer OF Monday that that body adopted the mi
| nority report
1.-The Committee on Primary Schools reco,,.
| mend the adoption of the following report 40 em
ioodylng the principles and measures proner 70,
this Convention to bring before the Legislature in
! a memorial: ~
l. The relation of parent and child is so sacred
, that, under a free Government, no autboriIa,;ve
interference with the mode of the chiId's edpc..
ton should be contemplated
\ <. Nhlle we can never surrender the forepoing
principle. we also declare our firm and unquali
neu oe'e', 'hat IL Is no less the duty than the in
teTest al the Commonwealth, to make such pro
J vision, and adopt such arrangements. as will fnr.
| nish every practicable facility for PROMOTING the
| thorough education Of their children.
.. lnat the sum of money now expended in
the support OF primary schools, is inadequate to
meet the wants OF the children of the Common
wealth, however 1t may be expended
4. lhat the general System of Education, in
primary schools, now supported by the Literary
1nd OF Virginia, contains the elements of the
only system that is suited to the present finances
and public temper of the Commonwealth.
D. That, IN our judgment, it is of very great
importance that cheap mcnthly publication, de-
voted TO the promotion of the interests of Ednca
ton, especially in ts elementary branches and
patronlsed to a limited extent, by the Presidep,
and Directors of the Literary Fund, should be
established ~
o. mat II Is important that the President and
Directors OF the Literary Fund should, by law
be authorized to employ suitable person or per
sons. at reasonable compensation, whose dntv
IL shall be to visit the several parts of the State
| to address the people at their Court Houses. mr.
o'her suitable paces-cOllect information on the
general state of Educaton-and, in short, do all
that may be proper to promote the best in,ereoto
of the cause of Education
Z. That the Convention recommend tn tho To
gIslature the laying of small poll tax specifcal
~ towards the support of primary schools in this
Commonwealth.
8. That the Convention has heard with nlea
sure, that certain important amendments to the
existing laws regulating the Literary Fund, are
now under consideration by the Committee of
Schools and Colleges appointed by the House of
delegates, and this Convention very respectfully
recommends to the Legislature the careful consid.
Grafton of such amendments.
g. That il is the opinion of the Co,vsn,;oo
that the Legislature should empower any conn,v
or corporation to adopt such system of Common
Schools as majority of the citizens of said coun
~, corporation or district, may, by uiva yoce
vote, prefer; and that any levy laid, or tax i'm
posed Tor the purpose of carrying into effect such
system, shall be legazed by the passage of a
proper act of Assembly therefor.
The M!norlty's report, after showing the prac
tical evils and deficiencies of the present system
'of Education, and pointing out what might be
done with the same amount of money under
well arranged district system, concludes az f,l-
lows:
n H. Al
OF the cost OF tuition is too low but it will he cor
roborated by reference to the expense incnrred in
other States, where the district school system bas
been adopted ""'
4" In Massachusetts, the average cost in the
country is So 81 per annum for each poor child At
school. In the city of Boston 81 2i In New
York country schools SO 25 In the city IS. In
pennsylvania So AZ, and in the city of Phladel-
phIa SO VA, including the high school. We pro-
pose Tor teaching fixed salary of $500 per an.
mum, which is higher than the average compensa-
ZION 10 the rural districts of the Northern States
ana is found to be sufficient in the county of Nor
folk to secure good teachers, under the district
system lately adopted there, and now in success
full operation
Having examined this question in its fnan-
ciaI aspect, we now turn to other features of the
present and proposed systems, which we consider
s'll more worthy OF our consideration.
we consider the present school system of
Virginia radically defective in several pariicu'
lars:
LIST. 1t creates distinction between the rich
and the poor ''0"
I'd. 1t makes no provision for the examination
OF teachers, as to their moral characters and ouaIi
fications. 9''''-
"a. 1t confers no authority on school commits.
sioners for the selection of school books.
4Ih 1t embraces no provision for the ednc,,ioD
of teachers.
" In relation TO the first of these defects ,yo
would remark, that we consider The selec,iop IS
poor children and teaching them as such at tho
public expense, liable to the most serious obiec-
tons, nasmucb as it impars their standing annon,,
their comrades, and their self respecf. and f,es
qoently prevents their parents from accentina ,
boon which they think is coupled with odious die.
tDcllOns.
The common school system which we would
recommend by placing all classes upon one level.
is more conductive to that equality of feeling
which IS peculiarly appropriate to our Republican
institutions, and will be instrumental IN eleva.
ting The masses Of society to that condition which
WIZ enable them TO appreciate the BLESSINGS and
share IN the burdens of free Government.
we therefore propose to the Convention the
adoption OF the following resolution:
hcSolVed, That the plan of Popular Education
reported BY the President and Directors IF the
Literary Fund IN the year 1871, to the Leqisla-
ture Of Virginia, be recommended TO the conside |