Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-05-05

Superintendent Buchanan, in his com
nents on tine work of the year. says
1.-The records OF the present year show
more schools IN operation and more
school houses IN use, more graded
schools established. more teachers en-
ploved. moro pupils IN attendance. and
more school funds expended than those
If any year since the system WAS inau-
gurated The school officers and teach
ers have a. a rule, shown commendablo
activity aud earnestness in the discharge
OF their duties, and an enlightened pub
lie sentiment uccOrds the system, rs will
inglv, at least, a. ever before. the moral
and material support upon which It's use
fulneBsmd efficiency very largely depend.
IL is not TO be claimed that all officially
connected with the schools have done
their full duty. or that everybody Is al
together friendly 10 the system, or that
the system itself is free from imperfec-
ton. or that the results are 10y any means
all that could be desired yet it can be
Justly claimed as no mean achievement
that three hundred and thirty thousand
children are now enrolled IN the public
schools. and that nearly two hundred
thousand are IN daily attendance for a
period OF six months each year.
TIRE MONEY.
Under the head OF fnsnces the Su-
permtendent SAYS;
A comparison of the school statistics
OF the different States shows that school
funds are rs economically applied in
Virginia as IN any other Of the States,
AMI the results attained equally as salts
factory, in view OF ali the conditions
which enter into the problem. The
school system aims 10 provide for the
education OF two races in separate
schools. The state embraces a large
territory, parts OF which arc sparsely
settled and many parts Of which are I'M
able 10 raise large sums for school pur-
poses by local levies. Hence lack Of
funds largely mot wholly explains the
inoliciency OF the school system
wherever such ineiiciency exists Often
objections urged against the school sys-
TEN itself ar objections which should be
urged against tue inadequacy of the
means provided for its support. 1t goes
without saying that the. essential
need of the system Is more money.
Twice the amount low expended
could be most probably used
But more money can be secured
only by increased taxation, and tins the
people in their present financial condi-
ton can hardly bear. Legislation IN re-
gard 10 the public schools has been both
ludiclOus and friendly. An enlightened
public sentiment willingly accords them
a generous support in 80 far as our reye-
nues can furnish IL without an oppres-
siye taxation II is fact especially
gratifying that without any extraordi
nary appropriations the grand total Of
funds expended on the State-school sys-
TEN has within the last i've years in
creased ABOUT $4,000 il Is to be
hoped that the prospective development
OF our abundant and varied material re-
sources wi add largely to our taxable
yalnes, and thus increase our revenues
without Increasing the rate OF taxation.
KSB0LMrST AND AVERAGE ATTENDANCE. "
"1he evil Of irregular attendance or
nonattend&nce upon The schools is recog-
ni1ed 10 be so grea. that as many rs
tventy-iour States and Territories have
adopted compulsory lava But SO far
tho results are not satisfactory. Either
ne laws themselves are imperfect or
their execution inefficient. AT any rate
they are in not . faw instances practi
caily inoperatiye. Ia some European
States aud ia some cities III this couotry
special officers are appointed TO enforce
attendance upon the schools This
seems most effective, but is much
more practicable in urban communities
than in rural. in our State ut least four
iifths OF our population are rural. Our
territory Is large, our population not
dense. in many places sparse. For these
and other reasons il is believed that it
would he extremely difficult, if not i'm
10 carry out eHectually a
syBtetn OF compulsory attendance In our
State and others similarly situated.
Therefore, as existing conditions do
aot urge the expediency OF attempting
'uch system. tits not Decessary TO present
in the abstract for or against
I. Something else must DO looked 70,
Il least for tie present, to diminish the
vii OF absenteeisrn. Faithful, earnest,
we'll directed effort 10 make the schools
q thorough and Efficient ~ possible, and |