Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-05-05

! to have good schools, said DIR. Runner,
and for every teacher TO have gone at
! least one grade higher than the grade
! he or she Is TO teach.
Continuing in his able paper, DR.. Ruff
ner said: II suspect tnat all Will agree
as 20 what IS theoretically best on the
! following:
81. That a State system OF education
! with elementary schools at one end. and
! university and collegiate institutions at
the other. whilst the intermediate
studies are very poorly developed, pres
I sents really ridiculous spectacle and
Il renders the whole matter Of symmetrical
and complete education a most difficult
achievement.
-. Obviously. then, for the sake Of
| all grades OF education. earnest attention
should be directed 10 the development OF
secondary education.
g. Outsie Of the cities the provision
Tor seconary education must be (D in
| connection with the elementary schools,
to) with district high schools. or tc)
with county high schools, and that OF
the three county schools alone can sup
| ply the best quality Of instruction. Very
| Few single districts can supply the means
| or the number o, students requisite for
a good school. Even counties in few
cases. wou.d better unite with other
counties I'm maintaining really first
class school And in every case the
| authorities should be allowed TO receive
students from counties not having
such SCHOOLS. and students from other
States.
1T is not supposed that the school
| funds will be sufficient during the present
| generation TO support such schools free
OF tuition fees. and yet ii would not
/ accord with the Virginia system TO have
/ these supported entirely at the expense
] a Es 81
! tainly be larger than those now allowed
/ by law. and perhaps they should suffice
| for the payment Of the teachers. but
buildings and contingent fees should be
| supplied from county funds.
THE question Of lodging and boarding
! the students constitutes the only really
difficult feature in the scheme. and this
| is by no means insuperable. The neces-
sary cost OF living is now absurdly low,
and a large portion of ii might be paid
by supplies from home. 1t would be
worth while for committee TO examine
specially this branch of the subject.
With building heated and lighted by
wholesale, boarding can easily be brought
within So a month. the value of zoo
pound pig. or two or three loads OF wood.
Such schools would practically be col
loges for the people The paper was
received with applause.
GRADED COURSE OF STUDY.
DR.. NJ. D. Hall, Superintendent Of Fair
fax county. read the first paper on the
subject. "A Graded Course of Study for
Rural Schools" and he handled the topic
in n most admirable and entertaining
manner. He portrayed the great needs
for a graded course, as they had been
demonstrated to him, and gave some
valuable information as TO the systems
and methods employed in the public
schools of other cities. He was followed
by Nh. r. G. Stcarncs, Superintendent
OF Roanoke county. who made one of
the most humorous and entertaining adj
dresses of the day. He referred TO the
lack Of discipline and system in the rural
schools. and TO the need of system in
them almost military in its rigidity, and
advocated strongly the graded plan,
speaking briefly OF the graded system by
counties. which prevails in New Jersey.
Superintendent l.. S. Foster, of Mathews,
and f. h. Watson. of Pittsylvania, also
read interesting papers on this topic, adj
vocating strongly the importance of and
necessity for a graded course of instruc-
ton in the rural schools of the State.
TO BE ENTERTAINED AT THE COL
LEGE.
At this juncture Professor Boat
wright. president Of Richmond College
was accorded the privilege of the floor
and he said that he did not purpose
making a speech. lie said Richmond Col
lege Joined hands with this body Of SUI
perintendents. lie took occasion 10 eX-
press in faint way the colleges appre-
citation Of the work being done by the
public schools. their value and impor-
tance. Professor Boatwright said he was
present TO extend to the body an invita-
ton TO attend "a reception 10 be given
in the library of the college this afternoon
at 49, o'clock in honor OF the superih-
tendents. The invitation was unanimous
ly accepted.
President Massey then introduced 10
the conference Professor Lyon q. Tyler
president of William and Mary College.
and that gentleman cOmplimented the
body and praised the good work being
done bv il. He then went into talk
about the relation of the college to the
common schools of Virginia, and spoke
briefly of the special advantages of VII
liam and Mary. He declared that he
would like to see the whole state OF VIZ
,inja dotted with hgh-schools, because
the more high-schools the State had, the
better il would be for the colleges; the
more colleges she had, the better IL Would
be for the University OF virginia. zap
plause) The speaker invited the body 10
on the occasion OF the approaching
jamestown celebration.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.
During the day number of resolutions
were offered and adopted or rejected.
Sune~lntendent Pulliam. of Manchester,
orered the following, which were ADOPT
ed: - .,oo
"Rosolved That a committee of three
comnosed of Messrs. William L. Fox, w.
A. Blankenship. and NJ. d. Hail. be APP
nointed TO consider the matter OF school
laws. -
"Resolyed That said committee extend
an invitation to all Of the supeilhtend-
ents of the cities and counties TO make
any suggestions. that they may desire
for changes i'm the school laws and regu-
ie,ions in writing. and file the same
vim the said committee st their earil-
est convenience"
ON motion Of Superintendent Rawls,
the following resolution was adopted;
"Resolyed That the papers presented
IN this conference which contain sug-
gestions as TO legislative enactments,
either of new laws or of repeal of existing
I've shall be referred TO the Committee
of school Laws for their considerations
Interesting Discussions at Night.
Tho discussions during the evening
,,ore varied. but none the less interest
ING and OF Importance TO the pubic
school system of the STATE.
The first paper was on the supJect,
naturalization of Schools; How 20 Ar
rest H." and the opening paper was read
by Superintendent w. NJ. Davidson OF
! 90 county This was an admirable and
logical appeal for proper adjustment
Of the schools in accordance with the
population and settlement OF the county.
The subject was also dlscusseu pS
S,,nerintendents w. F. Hogg, OF Glouces-
ter county; W. ii. Campbell, of Han