The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-01

now fact that many pups4S Ss'i'e
in the various counties iwhere the teaea-
or receives full paw in which the average
daily attendance is not so many as eASu1
n1Ipils Doubtless upon the system OK tile
minimum average OF twenty ptpis. tne
teachers were hardly dealt with ana III
many cases received warrants ior Tess
than their due. But does not any man
of common sense zee that IL the Board tldo
ordered the laying off Of school districts
of twenty square miles, the feasohdpie
unit of territory for a school district as
indicated in a previous paper, there WOULD
have been found III such a district enough
schoolable children TO supply requisite
number of pupils for legal and pro-
gressiye public school? Where the dis
trict did not contain the number of pupils
necessary 10 make q fun public school
the Board could easily have made rulings
that would have covered the case.
Permit me to pause just here to offer
protest AGAINST the system of report by
the state superintendent OF Public Instruc-
ton The thing that viii strike anyone
at a glance is the prominence given 10
the feature OF average. Now. in my JudS-
rnent, there could be no system devised
more confusing or deluding to man IN
search Of the concrete fact.
Average enrolment, average daily atteu-
dance average term, average teachers
pay, average cost per pupil per head aver
age everything.
Now take this case. What is the good
of showing, as the superintendent does
show, that the average attendance OF
pupils at the public schools of the State,
winch he gets BY summing up the at
tendance at all the schools, town ana
country, and dividing by the whole num-
Der OF pupils in the schools, when | COM
plain that there are a great number OF
schools in the country where the attend
ance is not above 10 and sometimes below
6?
submit that it is the case Of these
schools to be considered and provided LOT
or against
What is the good Of the annual report
to the female teachers of equal abilities
that the average salary Tor women Is
s26 when she gets only $15:
Then | object strongly to the system
upon which the averages are taken. 10
mix town and village with country schools
! in averages is to fail to recognize dltieF-
ences that exist between the two classes Oh
schools in the matter of attendance, OF
educational grades, of teachers wages
of school-houses, etc. have nothing 70
saw about the schools of the towns ana
villages: they have primary ard high
schools proportional TO their needs. but
do complain that the Board of Education
in twenty-five years of its administration
of the public school system have not been
| able TO evolve half dozen high Schools
for country boys and country girls
I In his annual report, the State Supe:iO-
| tendent shows that there were $2.olo625
| available for school purposes, and tlat
| all Of this was expended except $lS.v"V-
This IS a big sum of money and great re
! suits ought TO have come OF us eSpeils''-
| ture but it is admitted by the SupeEln-
| tendent of Public Instruction that much
| hoe SIZED the
maintenance of small, inetticlehl county
| schools. do not see that there
! is any comfort to us that the
! evil exists in other States-psr-
! hans even in greater degree. me as
| covery of the fact ought to nave oeeh
! the instant stimulus to him for the lnau-
| eurating of some plan for its cure me
| fona of his comments remind one OF the
| anoIogetic reply of an old-ttme oVeTseef
| whose EMPLOYER said to him on the occasion
| Of a visit 10 an outlying plantation:
| .tTohn. your corn looks badly eS'
| sir ne said, but thank the I1ora' tae
| neighbors' is no better
| DR.. SOuthail has an opportunlSE- nc .
| not responsible for the errors OF MS pre-
| taS,ssors that made the conditions, but
| ba cannot deny that the situation IS Grill
! r,i and demands immediate ana heFoit
| t,,atr,nnf NV contention IS that 1t IS an
Ali for him aud his colleagues OF thg
| Paard of Education to grdppie WITH at.a
| not for the Legislature. II Dr. Soue-'ali y
of The fixed opinion that II : matte -
| ,ae,;.Iatian WHY pray, did ne not suoliNl
The whole subject to the t.ehela al -.
| hiv Of it's last session with report re-
! .y,,,,srIing some specific course OIL legs
| Iatian for the cure of the EVIL!
| ~ have done that would nave
infpmeut an attempt only to sisaL-
81 aff the responsibility that lay upon mn
Ia t1a Board Of Education 70 tas Silol'--
49, nf fine General Assembly Dut & 81
(, 49, r,nnld have been better imam ~ -
li'aL and lust let things DRIFT. me
| 1910 +,,ra did I repeat, lay the DaI@sn
| - 5hn school system upon the bot.d y.
! Itz,,ca+ion. They did it completely 'iliIos
/ afc,,siveIy They have never slISc ~ -
| ..ith ths affairs Of the Board no. '4'l
| Far as to have its accounts audits" - :,
nroDar committee; nor mas II al dry !i.i'1
49, 49, IN, interest in the workings OF the
.,l,Tir scbnol system by interrosatoFies
| 7astgne6 10 bring out its good OF rs eVll
III. Thev have, however, taken an
| active interest in the politicdi Sue ~
| +ha evs+en-passed laws for the Sdst7l>tt-
| t:o1 ~ cIamorous teachers ana dl5't g
nI,ool boards with little or no regard %
+ha interests OF the State and puoGc II
| tha matter, nor nave they oFer!ooked 81
failed 10 claim the right OF eacn delegate
- nominate the co-superintendency toF
his cnuntv-regardes in most cases OF t-le
necessary qualifications
,Tbara Is other matter to comment upon
but through it all. no matter what say
nor how I say it, prefer 20 ne co'isileL %
a friend ana coadjutor OF the present IN
cunbent Of schools ,c.