Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-10-26
se7al to ne Register

8re7ll TO ths Rs7istsr.
CHARLESTON, w. VA, October 20
Your correspondent called at the Office
OF the State Superintendent Of Free
Schools and found the entire Office force
bpsily engaged In the preparation Of the
Biennial Report Of the Department.
Notwithstanding, Superintendent Lewis
found time TO speak ct length Of the
educadonal work Of the State. "Our
people," said be, "ars kesn.y alive to
every interest OF the school work
OF the State. The time has gone by
when our system Of free schools can be
regarded as a kind Of charitable insti-
tuition; 10 must now be regarded as a
vast business enterprise Of the State,
for IL to-day invests 10 10 more than
sixteen huadred thousand dollars an
nnally. There is an implied contract
existing between the State, as one
party, aud every child born on It's soil
as the other party, and this contract
Obligates the former % give 20 the latter
the opportunity 10 secure al least a
common school education. The State
Is NOW ENDEAvoBING TO COMPLY
with les part Of the contract Our COM
me- school system is q State system,
and the State is the only power which
can legislate and execute. 10 establish
IS State school fund and g, requires
cities, towns ard magistsriai districts 10
levy and collect additiOua. POUNDS by
LEGAL taxation. When the state raises
money 10 is bound 90 raise enough 90 at
Ftain the end in view. 10 must justify the
theory on which &c proceeds, 9ud iJ can
do this only By accomplishing what
IL undertakes. But this is not
all. Having provided public
School system, it must hold the right
OF supervision of the system 10 It's own
hands, aud it must determine the eX-
tent and character OF that supervisors.
Then, it must legisIate and administer
By and through the people To- a manner
that will put the best possible school
within the reach OF every home on It's
soil. No power, except that Of the
State, can do this liz puts forth its
hand and it is done. Then, the school
must be all that The State can make
Il, and this it will be, when 70 supports
il, supervjses iJ, aud grades ID,
TO SUPPORT THE SYSTEM
the State is doing noJly, but the first
great lack on the part of the State, is
that action necessary 90 secure complete
supervision. Probably a no State In
the Union is this broncn or the work so
much neglected. While many States
pay as much as twenty per cent Of
their school revenues FOR supervision,
30 is a remarkable fact that a many
counties OF the State the amount paid
for that work is less than two per cent.
and the showing Ia the cities aud towns
Of the State is but little better;
tA2s sin re city OF Wheeling, Of
- revenues, acbordIug 10
D1gH-es fl3TrsHSd7 MS Department,
less than Gre per cent is paid for SUI
spervisiOu;in Charleston, eight per cent;
In Huntington, nine per cent? Martins
burg, six per cent, and in ParkersbuCg,
six Der cent. The State should have
better county supervision. The County
Superintendent is the chief executive
school officer Of his county aud through
him this party must operate. Tie Is,
therefore. the chief field officer or our
system. Itis be who comes 10 direct
contact With our primary school work,
and be should, therefore, be- possessed
OF worlds knowledge OF schools. Such
men, 10 their services are secured, must
be paid for their work, aud better SUI
Uerv.si0u means better work, ADD bet
ter school work means the bsst possible
returns of the money invested.
TIE STATE MUST UNFY
tbs school w0rk-J1at is, the entire
school must be articu.atei, that Is work
ing together all the way from the hun
blest country school 90 the university.
Such is nos the case, A wonderful.
work has been accomplished by grading
the country and village schools, thOus-
npds of which are doing systematic
work upon a uniform plaza and other
thousands Will be placed upon the same
basis ia the same line OF work the pres
ent year. But, far above these schools
stand the West Virginia University and
the normal schools at the head or our
educational system. Both are splenditiy
organized aud are accomplishing a great
work. The former 10 sending hundreds
of young men out over the State 20 De-
come the leaders In thought aud in our
learned professions, while the latter
supply 10 the State a trained teaching
force which is rapidly moidiug the char
acter and shaping the deStluieS or
States educational work. But between
the urinary schools at the bottom, and
the University and Normal schools at
the TOP, there Is q wide sap and one that
calls loudly for legislative action. The
great need Of our educational system
Is THE HIGH SCHOOL
10 IN this gap and thus provide Tor sec
oudary education, thereby bridging the
way and connecting the primary work
with a higher educational work or the
STATE. The University and Normal
Schools must DO supplied with students
from the primary schools, aud the cry
inc need is for a system Of high schools
= that vii. receive boys and girls from
P7e primary schools and prepare them
Epter these higher institutions.
onk ago, the State made an effort 70
,rovi6a these schools, Away back IN
so. she legislature enacted Section -
M Chapter As OF the Code which
gith a slight modification has
neen a part Of the school
aw Of the State for twenty-five years.
m provided that maglsterlal district
might. bv a vote OF its people, establish
a district high school, 10 which all, pu-
nils completing the primary work tn the
spb.dIstricts of the said m2gisterial dis
Rrict might be sent. But the hope OF
those who enacted this law bad not been
realized, and secondary education, or