The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-11-26
The PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
ous rEoasEss ~ EDUCATION.
Cosr OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS
COMPARED BY DIR. RUFFNER.
sarses,ions 10 the Legislature.

We hsye heretofore given only ta.isticai extracts
from the sssost Of M o. Fonaay we presen.
q review OF tue years progress. relative cost OF
public and private schoos ant snRgesuans a3 ne
s IN ono way or another OF deep concern aud Inter
est 10 nearly every person In Virginia:
1.-THE YEARS PROGRESS
has been satisfactory In all respects he addition
2S3 ia the number OF schools, was more tnan we
had right to expect, all thugs being consiuerea
In many counties there Is asteady improvement 10
the qualifications of teachers. lu othec counties
fear that this rs not the case.
Is THE GENERAL PROGRESS OF POPULAR EDUCA-
TON IN VIRGINIA.
GAS means Of educatl G The people. the superb
S Of ase 1r br ,he bsopv
cltion In Virginia. Previous to 1870 the people
were dependent chi fy upon private schools Tor
their tniion paid from the ,eiary fund, and there
we're nIne counties where there were some public
schools. For higher instruction the state support
ed two institutions. The number Of pupils atend-
ing SCHOOLS Of all sorts In the counties now 60 ISL
,uttng yirdrt was as follows; In 1850, o1,s0S;
in 1sso .S lss9 H ptspolou TO popus
tion was In the year 1850; hut how small was that
In comparison with the number In 1875! Cut
1860. There has no doubt been some increase OF
population In the last Ave years. which should OF
course be remembered; but observe the wac cor
iIs7t g so SsnS9i attendance LOW
al tie culored pupls be thrown out Of the calru-
Iatlcn, we have in 1850 tn whrh 61; S3f "h'''
"This contrast Is sufficiently striklng, put !.
proper 20 say that the exhibit Is by far TOO
children In the ante bell,un schools were sent 10
school al the expense Of the Safe
ali Is not pretended that our pnblic-school system
has reached any high degree OF efficiency; hul we
now see more than three times as many cblloIen
goiug to school In Virginia US ware ever seen gong
before. And If this gain can be made In INC nrst
Int h(pnp
= Private schools are useful; and they VIII ana
should always exist: but they do not, have 9ot ana
never can make education general among any peo.
pis, for The simple reason that they either, must
charge higher rates an h he naey ys GI
and thus fail to give education even 10 those n.y
profess ~ teach. GOOD private teachers are pons
enough paid considering Their labors and dsauvan.
fares but till they make education costly TO the
people.
=. "RELArlyE COST OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC
10 SCHOOLS.
{. With all our latc Increase of school attendance
IL is admit. that the Interests OF The people OF Inc
state Ueuiaud grea ter Increase SILL But, hklng
expenditure, large as 1t seems to be, with what
would be required 10 t. ach the same number at pr-
ynte rates. The tuition of the ls4.4s6 children
the Aggregate s726soo but ut private rates il
would have amounted TO 81 800 1886.
If tue people srSan at the cost Of pubic faucs
quirct to cducaca At private rates:
''.In Richmond, in the year 1872, 1t cost on an
for nine mcnhs itaking the average Of SCHOOLS ond
acucemies. The cost In the public SCHOOLS OF Rich.
mona for the same length of time was Si3;4d /; Io
educate the 1900 children, who are usually on the
rolls of the public schools in that city, would cst
nearly 100000. IL actually cost that year less
THAI 62 o0O-a saving or $i3S o0O! !he oi adI
eGcc or the amount saved, would more IMAM euu-
cate all the children i'll the city.
"TliE POWER OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.
st has been declared upon the floor Of the LegiS-
la!urc, aud in the newspapers many times mat tue
Superintendent of Public Instruction possesses
dangerous amount of power. If true, no nme
should be lost In me 0GdS be e reeyed
either ca e 1t is high time the matter were looked
INTO. Ii the incumbent should ocprecate inquiry,
irauiry. Ne honest officer will shrink from inyes-
iigation, and no worthy Incumbent OF ms once
will prefer himself 10 the good OF the Common.
wcn,th, And nothing couu be more unpleasant
to one who is simply trying 10 be faithful than to
Il 90 himself III object of alonsy and suspicion
Dr. KneF a Se 10 f ~
Il l. Negatively, the Superintendent of Pubic H.
sructiun asa separate officer has no In oney-power
IT, re except ssn aI through i the Board Of Eaucaon
I'll. The Superintendent Of Public Instruction
has no appointing or removing power. lin, ,,,s
officer has no ab oute power discretion OF any de-
scrlpttou. everything he prescrtbes or decides Is
liable ~ be reversed"
SCHOOL RESENUKs.
DIR. Kuffuer says: :" Not only Is the long delay
the collection of sebool-taxes sad grievance. but
there are several adjustments needed 10 Smoo.h Tie
OF the revenues
Gould the prepayment OF The caDitaion TAX DE
made a condition Of voting our school revenues
would DE materially increased. And could dogs,
anu liquor consumed, be made 10 contribute to the
sppOrt Of schools there would be no serious trou-
bu in giving to the people nbundnn; means OF edu-
cat ION Auinteresting question has lately been pro-
posrc-viz., as 10 The expedency OF allowing every
Incorporated town 10 monopallze the sale OF liquor
he INC question might be considered in reference
to the STATE. Mere funds are certainly ner0el for
education aud In the consumption of luXuriGS an
iuneuse source of revenue is running 10 waste"