The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-02-23
STAUNTON, VIRGINIA, THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 3d. 1871
THE FREE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

The provisions Of this Law, which are o
known, it is proposed briefly to explain.
/. SCHOOL TRUsTEEs.-Of these, there
are three in each township. They are ap
pointed by the Board of Education, which
consists of the Governor, Attorpey=Ge Genera
and Superintendent Of Public Instruction.
The Trustees Of each Township constitute
a corporate body, having control Of the Free
Schools in that Township They eject Inc
Teacher, provide School Houses and accom-
modations and decide all questions respecting
the children, who may be supplied with
school books grstuitously; how many may
attend at one school and the manner in which
Teachers shall perform their duties.
The clerk Of the Trustees is required to
provide Teachers with Registers, in which to
note the attendance, department aud progress
of the pupils. The trustees may call meet
ing Of the people of the Township to decide
by vote on the question of laying Taxes in
the Township for providing for the expenses
Of the schools, other than Teachers salaries,
and for consultation on the general interests
Of the schools. Till the provision just nam
ed be made the Township can derive no ben
eft from State Funds.
2. The COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT has
supervision of the schools of the county, or
ganzes the several Boards of Trustees, ex-
amines all applicants for the Office Of Teach
ing, on their mental and other qualifications
to teach, especially on photography, Reading,
Writing, Arithmetic, Geography and Eng
lsh Grammer, giving certificates Of qualifca-
ton to the deserving, available for year or
longer period according to circumstances.
3. TEACHERS may be male or female
No one can be employed by the Trustees Of
any Township except for such Township and
unless possessed of a certificate Of qualifca-
ton. Every Teacher must keep daily ac-
count OF the attendance of pnpils. their pro-
gress and department and other facts of IN
terest respecting the school which Register
must be delivered to the clerk of the Board
OF Trustees at the close of the school term.
The Teacher must also report to the Su-
perintendent of the county, every mouth, the
number of scholars, the number of days each
one attends, the number of days the school
is taught, the average attendance, the per
centage OF attendance, the number Of pupils
attending from neighboring districts aud other
facts useful to be known by the Superintet :
dent. The average attendance is obtained by
adding together the numbers, showing how
many times the several pupils were present
during the month, and dividing the sum by
the number of days the school was taught
The per centage is obtained by multi plying
this average by 100 and dividing the product
by the number of pupils on the Roll fer the
month
Teachers may suspend pupils for miscon-
duct, subject to the (pronpt action of the
Trustees
4. SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL PROPERTY are
under the control Of tho Trustees It may
"a as many as are fssatd s fdstsea5 f ale
required to use sound discretion in select
ing places, for the present accessible to the
greatest number. Where the population is
not dense enough to supply sufficient num-
Der for school, special arrangements may be
made, if the Funds justify the measure, by
which private schools may be adopted, being
subjected to the control Of the Trustees, with
the Teacher and patrons. In such cases the
Trustees require an average attendance of
ton pupils, on State account, if the other pa
irons provide two-thirds of ths expenses and
Teachers salary: or Of fifteen pupils, if one
third is supplied. In no case, can school
entirely on State account be established where
an average attendance Of at least twenty pu-.
pills cannot be obtained It is generally es-
timated that an average will not exceed one
half the number enrolled.
Donations for schools in the county at large
or in any special Aistrict may be received
and are invited. In the former case, tho
money is applied by the Superintendent, in
the latter by the Trustees of the Township.
5. PAYMENTs.-Th funds collected by
tax, or otherwise provided for school accom-
modations and for books Tor the INDECENT and
those derived from the State, or otherwise
provided for the salaries Of Teachers, are paid
by the order of the Trustees. Full payment,
Of Teachers salaries, tits presumed from the
spirit Of the law, will be delayed till the ex
piration of the school term.
Z. SCHoLARs.-All youths over Eve and
under twenty-one years of age, may be ad-
mitted to the schools provided, l. white and
colored children must attend separate schools;
2. that s.no person shall lie allowed to attend
whose father, if alive and resident within the
District and not pauper, shall not have
paid the capltation tag IN aid Of public schools
last assessed !, and 3 that the number of pu-
pills in school, shall not be greater thAn the
Trustees believe can be properly taught by
one Teacher.
1T is suggested that when a SCHOOL, ike
" to be over crowded, if any are declined
admittance for this reason, those be selected
who are youngest and who can wait, even if
the school be filled by receiving ouly one or
two from family
s. THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS is nesessa-
rily limited by The want of means It lis hop
ed large income may be had, and by grad
ual increase Ct means fron State funds, and
aid from the liberal who have means and no
children of their own, the time will soon ar
rive, when no child, in the country, will need
to be deprived Of school privileges for year
KEEPING To ONE THINa.-We earnestly
entreat every young man; after he has chosen
his vocation, to stick to it. Don't leave it
because hard blows are to be struck, or disa-
greeable work performed Those who have
worked their way up to wealth and usefulness,
do not belong to the shiitless and unstable
class bet may be reckoned among such as
took off their coats rolled up their sleeves,
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