The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-02-06
first class but to place them in the first pri

Tlrst class but to place them in the first pri-
mary grade.
The classification Of the second class (wht
come from graded schools) is attended will
but little difficulty, since the general unifor
nifty in graded courses of instruction is suct
that pupil may easily pass from one schoo
to another and take up his work where it; hal
been dropped.
It is with the third class that we meet wifi
the difficulties above referred to. where w,
find considerable proficiency in some brancl,
es,while others of the same grade are almos
wholly neglected. OF these it is at first ex
tremely difficult to make a rational or satis
factory classification. Proficiency in read
ing orgeography may entitle them to entel
one OF the higher grades, while a relatively
poor knowledge of arithmetic or gramma
may make it necessary to classify them will
pupils who are considerably younger. Thu
general ability of the pupil also must he ia
Ken into consideration, no matter whether
that ability depend primarily on innate men.
tai habit, health, industry or acquired hab
its OF study. The grading must, therefore,
at first, be to some extent, provis ional.
These, and other obstacles, say, presen.
themselves the first year. But it will nav tf
meet them patiently and firmly, for they
Will soon begin to vanish. In making exam
nations for promotion, near the end OF the
year, or earlier, these pupils will all belong
to the third class, and susceptible OF the easy
grading of that class: And there will be
less occasion for inquiring into their latent
ability, since that will then have been trans
formed into actual requirement. II the sys-
tenn has been wisely administered, pupils
ability. whether based on mental habit, phys.
ical health, or industry, will be concretely
RS fo6 NJ 10 Gpo or
In the second year, therefore, the trouble Of
grading the same pupils will not be found:in.
competent teachersdf any)will have been elm.
mated from the corps, and the last sessi Is
experience will have made the others more
efficient; the people, too, better apprehend-
ing the plan, will have seen glimpses OF its
advantages, will begin to cooperate; and q
basis will be established for school system
whose operations and results with far man.
agement will grow better and better az one
year succeeds another.
This obviously takes time. You can not
jump right into it. The numbers in the High
School,, at the end of the first year and be-
ginning OF the second, may be even consid-
erably reduced by this system, instead Of in
creased.
But hold steady hand. It will all come
right in the end. When the pupils go in
there they will be ready for it; and then we
can guarantee that when they come out,
they will be ready for that too. The value
and efficiency OF High School are not to
be estimated by the quantity of material, or
numbers 1T contains at any given time, but
solely by the quality of that material. We
can much better afford to maintain the High
School department of our Public Schools, il
it has within its walls 10 pupils of the right
sort, next year, with the prospect of 20 tho
year after, than We could II it contained ev-
cry year 30 or 40, or even so scholars, who,
unprepareC when the enter, either pass
through unable to profit by the instruction,
or else, to meet their wants, require the
standard to be so lowered, as to make High
School misnomer for that department.
am sorry that my card has grown SO I'M
expectedly long. These are plain facts
which have aimed to state plainly. There
is no mystery, so far as know, about pub
lie schools. or their modus operandi. They
belong to the public, and the public ought
to know all about them. The trouble Is that
tlmately with their schools as they Should.
It is my opinion that q thorough under.
standing OF the public school system, in all
its features, on the part of our people, is all
that is lacking to insure its cordial support
and eminent success.
No man can expect our schools to reach
this degree of success unless sufficient mon
ey is appropriated to support and operate
them, the money will not be supplied unless
The people value them, and the people will not
and can not properly value them, unless they
acquaint themselves fully with their conduct
and results.
And hence public scrutiny is invited mot
in way of banter, not challenge in boast
Iul spirit,) but respectfully invited into our
schools, into all the features OF the system and
plan of operation, in the hope and belief
hat it will secure the approval and thereby
gain the cordial cooperation and support Of
The people.
This cooperation, and this alone, is in my
opinion, necessary for complete success. I |
am aware that may be regarded by some
IS over-sanguine. But this is the sort Of
.aith-abiding faith have, based not upon
ancy, or mere theory, but upon practical
'esutts, attained in other places, upon some
experience and great deal OF observation
Respectfully,
RO g HAMILTON