The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-10-28
rFor the Dlspatch.l
Our Free Schools.

LOUISA, October %. 1874.
In n communication 10 your paper snort lfne
inre called attention TO some of The evils attend
ant upon our fec-school system as at present ex-
listing merely alude 10 II again In or1er TO con.
meet II with some further remarks INA, ues,re 10
faults noticed was the pian OF keeping the schools
In operation only five mont rs In the tweiVe thereby
csusing tho child TO lose what tle he may have ac
la his short schooling, besides having such
tendency to introduce Inferior teachers into our
schools. since no che who intenHs 10 make prples-
sInn of teuching can afford to lose seven months In
a year; al consequently the schools fall into the
hauds If necple VINO accept the employment Us
mahe-shi aud eat itaccordinSy; Now, am aware
tn At our school fund Is mcagre and the counties ana
townshtus are on, os cd 20 voting additional levy
nj woulI 1t not he more judicious III them TO vote
small amount, and thus render available that
which they paw In with their State taxes, and
which by right they should reap some advantage
frnmp In some neighborhoods the people actually
10 without scnCo's because they aie unwilling to
vote enough 10 build schoo-house ana some
lines even TO buy st"rc. This seems 10 lie " ny
short sighted pocy. 10 allow other peopl" to enjoy
the ben,ls of ON money merely for tne sake OF
few ,lo,rs which ri least Won III enable them to de-
rive some advantage fr.m the five months s. ssion
huu- II il must b. acknowledged IL Is small Us me
s,h,ils are at present conducted. since have
taken |. unon my:c'f to condemn the existing man
.n,mrnt Of The schools. Of course il devolvss upon
lie scai city of the school fund and The poverty
OF our people staring me In The face l am
forced TO copfceS have gott.n myself into d.
leuna Hut the sooner the attention of the people
Is led TO this matter, and the greater number OF
remedies that suggested, the better opportunity
will We have to elect practicable o:e With these
facts before me. would say reduce the number of
sch. OILS for 1 cevc That school kept w ten
mon ls in nc place without any lnterns lon would
do m ore good than two live months schools with an
in erval Of seven months, although there could not
be another school in the same place for twelve
months. In tie first place, we would lie more likely
10 sccurc the services OF good teacher secondly,
the further scbolar.is advanced the less probable
ity is terc Of his forgetting SO soon what Inc has
learned. and, thirdly, child would not forget
in fourteen
in seven. for our minds are not % MECHANICALLY
formed that things slip out In regular Mtto There
Il one more suggestion wish 10 make In regard
10 this matter and lhtt is that our township DoIrdS
ought 20 bc aid something for their services IL Is
not natural for bestow his time and attcn-
ion on an ullj CT for which he gets nothing: aud
whilst do not charge any OF them win neglect or
duly | assert that they wauld he more energetic
and 70 ,!ous In the work If they were allowed some
PERTURBATION for their trouble. | am neither a
croakcr nor am gifted with any prophetic power,
but can 81 clearly that Tie frec-srhoo system Is
growing into dI>ayor with the people in the coun-
try, without whose cooperation they will become
utterly worthless. so let some Improvement ne
made that will show the people that there Is good
Ia free schools ard enlist their aid. aud will an
sw, for it thst We will soon see change for the
better. Won.