Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1897-07-09
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The Greatest Need Of
Our Public Schools.
(Article No. 9, by Philip Johnson.) J

! @'N. -, ~ OOuusOu.J
To my mind, the greatest need of
cur Public Schools is progressive
pudtic sentiment in favor of public
schools. In Lynchbnrg we have
fright good public schools, in Rich.
mond, very good; in Norfolk, until
very recentlSpublic school education
was scarcely counted respectable.
In Washington congressman and re.
tired men of means bring their
families to the National Capitol in
order that their children may. enjoy
the advantages of thesplendid public
schools.
Gov. Hastings made striking
statistical statement in a public nd
dress at Atlaita, Georgia, November
l4th, 1897, concerning public school
education in thu Key Stone State.
In Pennsylvania to-day, said he, there
are 14,7S3 school houses aud 22,S5O
school rooms. The value of our pub
tic school property in 1890 was. S42,.
625.000. We have 26,2OO school
teachers, instructing an army of l,
O40, 600 Pennsylvania boys and girls
for future usefulness and happi:
ness. Our school teachers have
received in salaries in the past ten
years S73,147,OOO. The total expen.
ditnre for the public schools of our
commonwealth from 1885 to 1894 in.
elusive was Sl3S, ,95O,O0O the totnl
expenditure for the support of the
public school in Pennsylvania is more
than. the aggregate of expenditures
for schools i'll the states OF Deleware,
Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia,
North Carolina, South Carolina
Georgia and Florida" Note the con
trast! Continuing, he says; Mind
ralning is an established industry in
Pennsylvania. 1t is the most profit
able investment within our borders.
There arc no dividends so great as
lhosc that come from the church, the
school house and the college. Free
ndncation has become as necessary n
part of our government as our legis
atnre and our courts. No tax is so
;heerfully paid as the school tax. No
"xpenso is so readily met as that
for the education of boys aud girls
growing up around our family hearth
stone.n
The fact that Pennsylvania spends
more for public school education
than the eight states mentioned is
not very popular reading for southern
people. But Facts are stubborn
things 1t is condition we have to
confront, and not theory to discuss.
This comparison should at least
elicit from us some living desire to
breathe more vigorous life into our
school system. New York has better
public schools than Pennsylvania.
Brooklyn, alone, spends-not for
school buildings, apparatus etc, and
not for teachers salaries, but for free
boohS-s1OO.OOO annually. New
York City expends more. ..
Ohio also has better public
school system than Pennsylvania.
While in conversation with one OF
the most prominent business men OF
Cleveland, Ohio, last ear, he remark
ed that the public schools Of Ohio
gave their boys sufficient mind train.
ing aud breadth. of culture to qualify
them to occupy and grace with manly
dlgr ity any office within the gift OF
our government, even that of the
Chief Executive of the United States
Ohio has compulsory free school
education. And she has more Col
leges than any state III the Union,
md is obviously getting her share OF
our Presidents
1t is usually unsafe to attempt
to establish general conclusions by
the citation of particular exam
I-ples. However, it is safe to conclude
that the states which have the best
public school sytems, are receiving
the most aggressive citizens. a
passing acquaintance with the school
children of such a commonwealth. is
evidence sufficient to establish the
belief. And if we doubt the theory
tits idle to encourage even our pres
eut Ina1o0uoto crfon, TIC ,,o I.,1.~-