The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-12-28
Ght9nteli9s'rfer.
. I..o,t step Forward IN Educa.
H., H. NoSt Virginia.

.;,.rn and call the Republican party oil
Ws,l yirgini. blessed for what the party
b,. dome for the State in the matter ol
oIn,,lion. Laying aside all cOnsiders'
'ion. ot :. political character, the Repub'
1;c,n marty ha. richly earned The graft
,MI" If the rislng generation Of West
Vi,sinisn. by .ea,on Of the admirable |,
t,.e tnS. school sy.,em which it incorporated "a,
in,o the very foundations Of The M state
,Iss when M they were laid in 1858. This 'y''
,.m ,i !, now bearing fruit in every part
"T,b. ComnOnwoaItb-in some Counties
Saw.,sS S' S',assS lIiE. .b, seed sovn in different
~,,is,ie, Of gfOuudl more than others.
SInnons,li. county is one Of the counties
,rbs,s tbs seed has not fallen upon stony
a,onrJ, nor among IhOrns, but on good,
cs,nr.rial soil, and where it is bringing
ior,h fruit an hundred fold.
We have had OCCASION more than once
10 refer TO the good work that is being
dous BY tue Superintendent Of Schools
in that county. lie is one Of the few men
elected to such positions who seem to
have been happily chosen. He gives evil
J.ncs Of capacity to magnify his Office by
mIkiDyi. produce we'll for the public in
,.res,. We have before Us his catalogue
Of free schools in Monongalia county for
the wear ending the 3Iat August, 1876,
aud hi. report in regard to each one Of
lhem. Thi. report opens up as fOl!oWs :
although one hundred years have
eItp,ei since We aa nation became Tree,
only thirteen years have gone by since
Tie free school syAtem was adopted in
We, Virginia. Previous 10 its adoption
we had no system providing either for
lhs building Of school houses or the en-
ploymtnt ui trScherJ. Ii isa remarkable
iari thst MUn0ngIliH county, for many
year. the seat Of MOnOngaIis Academy,
Wndburn Seminary, aud the Morgan.
lvwn Female College Institute, had in all
il. country districts in 1868 but one
school house which was by the school
oibc regarded worthy to remain as a
EhVOl house"
There are now in MonoDgnlia county n
school houses and there are 5000 youths
Of school age. The attendance, however,
does no, reach more than abou, 90 per cent
Of tho sChooIabIe number. This lacl
brings up the question Of compulsory At
tendance. Quite number Of influential
TAX payers oi Monongalia "hearIily favor
compulsory law"
Until the passage OF snch law Mr.
Wade suggests that the salaries Of teach
era might be made in some degree dspen'
dent upon fair average attendance. lie
iarther suggests that they should also
dependin poue degree on tho progress oi
their pupils. Ills posiIion is that I'll
would cost less to carry out a Law rrgnla.
ting salaries according to the above aug
geations Than il would to enforce the
compulsory law, and believe that teach
ers, when interested, could bring into the
school Iuore pupils than officers Of the
liw could, aud certainly with lesa dis4At-
i.faction.
Itstrikes IA that there Is soulelhlOg in
these snsseationa worthy of cOn4i'Iera-
ton. There arc some insuperable dill.
cdIues in dealing with a delinquent
school enrolment viewed from any stand.
poin, whatever. The compulsory pro-
cess has to encounter the great obstacle
Of poverty in sume families. The chill
dren must work in order 10 maintain
themselves and be p maintain the family.
Mr.. Wade's method has the merit Of u
proper business basis underlying it-viz
-stlf.interest On the part Of teachers
Tor so much pay for go much success)
provided only that it can be once put into
successful operation. In districts where
tue enumeration ID small tue pay Of the
teacher wouhl not necessarily be cut
dO"nby his itnethOd, provided the proper
ier cent Of attendance is secured ard the
proper prOgres, exhibited on the part Of
the pupils.
Theieatnrs Of the report before us ia
description Of the method adopted in
MonOngRlia county for encouraging
pupIhin attendance at the schools to COM
p'sIe iull course Of common school edu-
cation Section II Of our West Virginia
school law enacIa that "in the primary
schools there shall be taught orthosra-
Pn!, reading, p'nmanship, arithmetic,
Hns"'h grammar, history, geography,
and such other branches as the Board Of
Education may direct" II is the cxpe.
f'ence "I most teachers that the fewest
'nnCer otPupils ever take up aud com.
p'e'e this course VI study. This is par
"c'IArIy The case where the schools
are only open four or Eve months
!" the year. Superintendent Wade has
Pu' into practice plan in Monongalia
county that has worked beneticiaIly and
P'oai''cs good results. lie has formed a
va" oil volunteers in each sub.district OF
'"e county, who enter their names for
radiation in the course, so many out Of
'ae whole number Of schoIars in the sub.
"',F''I' For instance, in 1875 hc formed
e'"S ol advanced scholars who entered
'0e '''l' Tor graduation in 1876, and an.
"'"s'C'A'S Of less advanced scholars who
catered Tor graduation in 1877. Toward
"eena oil ths school year II "Commence.
"'os day Is held in each Of the
''s'' general school districts Of
w county, 10 which come all
"nu'dl'eS Tor graduation in the schoo!
.' ,uut'e from the snb.dislricts. They are
'A1n,'ed As TO their fitness ior gradua.
.I ," oy The Superintendent, assisted by
.4''r' oIexperiencs from ab road, and
' presence Of teachers from all the
~"Oo''0' 'h" district, anil to those who
FN aNltGctory eyau;r.,;oD I;.I.