The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-17
OUR SCHOOLS
ARE DEFENDED
The Outlook Publishes a Letter from
MI. Brent, Replying TO an I'm
lust Criticism.

Thu. n,sopie of Richmond have not 1oi-@
gotten tie article which aPpea.esu :.
some time ago in The oottooh,
,.ritic,s:ny the Richmond public schools;
The ,,,incfpafs of the schools endeavored
10 get The Outlook to publish reply 10
that article. hut We're nnsuccessiu III.
The editors of 1.-The Outlook assignee
rs a reason for not publishing reply
from them .he fact that they pad re-
ceived official confirmation OF thelI ar
1icic
A committee of the principals was
thereupon appointed to wait upon Inc
various persons in educational circles
holding official positions. and it was as
t.e1-Iained that none of them had had any
correspondence with The Outlook, eX-i
scept- Secretary Frank p. Brent, OF the
State Board of Education.
AT the request of the committee MI
Brent wrote the following letter, Which
appears in the last copy Of The out.
look" outlining his position:
To the Editors of The outlook:
Some months ago there appeared in
The Outlook an article entitled The
Richmond Of To-day in which the Rich
mond public schools were indiscriIninate-
~ criticised as being far behind those
Of Washington City in modern education
al methods. and q century behind IN eth-
ical and aesthetical standards. While
payative merits of the public schools OF
these two cities. am sure the criticism
does injustice to the principals and teach
ers of the Richmond schools, many OF
whom are known to me as gentlemen ana
ladies OF the highest character and social
standing and excellent scholastic attain
ments, and withal inspired with jealous
purpose to improve their pupils in man
ners and morals rs vel as in intellect.
The criticism quoted above, therefore,
does these principals and teachers
grave. and / am sure an unintentional,
injustice.
MANY STuptES.
Reading, writing anu arithmetic do not,
as stated in the article in he Outlook,
make up the most of the studies in the
Richmond public schools: for. in addition
to these studies, phonetics, language les
sons, grammar, geography, history, ply
siology and nature study are taught IN
the primary and grammar Stades. lnves-
tigation reveals the fact tnat, while no
textbook on nature study is named IN
the report of the city superintendent,
this subject has Teen taught in the
primary and grammar grades since 1885.
Much difference of opinion exists among
educators as to the comparative value
of modern methods cf teaching. as is
evidenced by the articles recently pub
lished in the -tAt!an.ic Monthly" by Dean
Briggs and DIR. Hugo Nrsterberg, both
of Harvard University; and It is certain
that many of the so-called modern me-
thods are losing ground among our most
cultured and judicious educators. Me-
thuts are by no means TO be despiSed 'or
neglected. bat in The equipment Of the
teacher sound scholarship End general
culture are more to be desired than an
acquaintance with modern educational
methods. 1t is my opinion, based on my
experience as a patron OF the Richmond
public schools an also as Secretary to
the State Board of Education. that the
methods of teaching the various subjects
in the primary and grammar grades Of
these schools are in the main conservative
and sound: and it is conceded. even by
those who have criticised the public
school system of this city, that reading
and arithmetic are as well taught here
as in any other city of the country: but
] am free to admit that there is ample
ground for difference OF opinion as to the
small amount OF daily work required to
be done in history. and the elementary
character, as we'll as TIE small amount,
of the work done in geography in the
grammar grades. It is also due to say
That many of the most acceptable teach
ers in the public schools Of the State
received all their scholastic and pro-
fessienal training in the public schools
of this city.
WOULD BE UNFAIR.
What is said in the article about the
condition OF certain school buildings is,
unfortunately, true: but it would be I'M
fair to infer that the buildings described
are to be taken as samples of the other
school buildings of the city, many of
which are Of the most improved con-
strucrion and are unoblectionable as to
location, and such are not amenabIe
30 the sweeping condemnation which the
criticism in The Outlook would seem to
convey The Colored High School build
ing. which came in for severe criticism
as to location and construction. is surely
unobjectionable in these respects. A
heavy municipal indebtedness has hith-
cfto prevented the erection of such
school buildings as Richmond deserves
and should have; but it is believed that
such appropriations Will soon be made as
will enable this historic city to stand in
the forefront in the matter of school
buildings and their equipment and or
namentation.
Feeling assured that the accomplished
writer in The Outlook did not int any
injustice to Richmond or the principals
and teachers of its public schools. / ven
ture to ask that you will give this q place
in Your columns.