The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-11-30
Public Free Schools.

The following extracts from the official
department of the Educational Journal,
the organ of the State Board of Education
are published for the information of teach
ers and other school officers, who are not
subscribers to the Journal. 1t is advisa-
BILE that all public school teachers should
subscribe for the Journal.
/ j. E. Cur, Co. SURF Schools.
CLosING ScHooLs FOR INsuFFIc1EN
NUMBERS. schools supported wholly
| by public funds must, as ordered by the
| regulations, be closed as soon as it is as
certained that the required average attend
ance was not reached during the preced-
ing month, unless good evidence is furn-
i>hed that the deficiency will not exist in
the future.
AS soon as the teachers monthly report
dlscloses to the county superintendent tina
fact that this average attendance for the
month was under twenty, it becomes the
duty of that officer to communicate the
fact to the district clerk, with instructions
to close the school at once aud keep it
closed until pledges are obtained from par
ents in the neigh borhood which give assur-
ance that there will be afterward sufici-
ent increase of pupils to constitute law
full school. 5-5 -sr
This rule is as valuable in an education
al as in an economical point of view. r.
regular ATTENDANCE is among the greatest
evils to school and its pupils A large
proportion of parents either from ignor-
ance or other cause, are too ready to keep
their children from school for slight rea-
sons, even whilst desiring them to be edu-
Gated; but if they find that they are in Sc
rious danger of losing the school for want
of a certain number, the children will be
sent with more regularity. Regular at
tendance is SO essential to education that
a school of irregular pupils is scarcely
worth maintaining, and the loss to the
neighborhood of closing such school is
more fancied than real. It is true that
there are always few faithful ones who
are made to suffer in such a case, but the
State is too poor to pay a teacher or any
one else full wages for partial work. The
school can go on if the public has to pay
only according to the services rendered as
is set forth in the regulations. ls
TEACHING PENMANsH1p.,-Th Spenceri-
an Copy books having been officially adopt
ed for use throughout the State, it is the
duty of teachers to become familiar with
the system of penmanship embodied in
those books. They should read the in
structions, and even practice the copies
Nos. /, 2 and series, and would al
so do we'll to study the ssTeacher's Guides
to the proper use Of the Spencerian Copy
books and charts, a little pamphlet con-
tanning information, valuable in organizing
and conducting writing classes. Il may
be obtained gratis, by mail, from the sever
al repositories or from the publishers Of
the Copy books Qvison, Brakeman, Taylor
4 Co., Nsx York; by simply enclosing =
two cent stamp for postage. Where prac-
ticable, larger aud more complete work
for teachers, entitled ssSpencerian Key to
Practical Penmanship," should be studied
and kept in the teachers desk for refer
ence.
AproRTloNMENTs OF MoEEY.-We hope
there will be as mnch as 20 cents head
still to be divided out for the last year.
The money is not collected yet, and some
Of it will probably not be ready for distri-
button before January It will be appor-
toned as fast as it comes in.
VAcc1NATIoH Evidence of the vaccina-
ton must be furnished to the teacher be-
fore an applicant is admitted into pub
lie school. The teacher must be made re-
sponsible in the contract for carrying out
this provision. Persons who have hitherto
neglected vaccination of their children,
should be warned Of the necessity Of at
tending to this requirement. as no excep-
ton or indulgence can be allowed.
CAp1rATIoN TAx.-The Board has con
cluded that the period for enforcing the
law concerning the children of those who
fail to pay the Capitation Tax, properly
begins when the township Collector reports
his list of delinqueuts. The LIST of De,
cember is the time fixed by law for the
Collector to make his final returns.
When the Tax-collector of each town
ship makes his final returns to the Treas
urer, he shall at the same time furnish to
the Clerk of the school district within
which he acts, list of fathers who have
failed to pay the Capftation Tax, and vino
have children in the district between the
ages Of five and twenty-one years.
On the receipt of this list, the Clerk
shall furnish copy thereof to the teacher
of each public school in the district, and
it shall then be the duty of the teachers to
expel from or refuse admission to the
school the child or children of every such
delinquent father until the Treasurer's re-
ceipt is produced to show that the tax has
been paid. -@f