The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-02-16
SUNDAY. FEBRUARY 16, 1902.
EDUCATION IN VIRGINIA.

g. thoughtful ana prlctlcaE 2rt1clo on Inc
..Jsducational NeeGs of Virginia from
the pen OF Professor Linus w. Kline, OF
The Farmville Normal School. Dr.. Kline
is not merely an educated mamie is an
educator. lie has made the art Of teach
;n; a study, ard few men in this coun-
try better understand this art. He has
taught four years in the pubic schools of
Virginia. has recently visited the schools
OF several counties ana has personal
knowledge of the school systems CT four
of the States. For three years he taught
81 the city schools Of Houston, Texas; the
last three years he has spent In training
teachers in Virginia and Minnesota His
school experience covers a period Of six
teen years, ten Of which were devoted to
teaching and six to work in universities
DIR. Kline is, therefore, in position to
speak intelligcntly upon the subject I'M
der discussion, and we invite special at
tentio!3 10 his remarks concerning cduca-
fionaI needs in Virginia
First OF all, he tells the painful truth
that our educational machinery is among
the poorest IN the Union and says that
This is true, in spite Of the fact that Vir-
sfnia is giving. and has always given.
;ibcrally of her substance for this sup
port 1.-THE scholastic product Of ON
schools is of such inferior quality" he
1roce, ds. 'tlle teaching is so poor, the
suacIEision is SO farcical and negligent
and public sentiment so letharsic that
competent critics and educators have
thus far viewed the situation either in.
Es.yinS silence or expressed themselves IL
texans Of humiliation or OF disgust or OF
severe 1idicujc,' That seems like a.
harsh laying, yet VIC know that DIR.
Kline docs not mean TO be harsh. IleJ
is simply stating a condition as he sees
st. He has personally investigated the
system of teaching in soEe of the coun-
try schools, and he says that in many
instances it seems to him useless. We
cannot correct an evil until We confess
St There is no disposition on the part
of DR.. Kline or DR.. Frazer or DR.. Curry
or The Richmond Times or any OF those
who are criticising the public schoo
system of Virginia to do injustice or to
underrate the service that is being done.
There is much good in our public school
system. There arc many faithful men
and women engaged in this work and they
are doing n good work. But there are
also serious faults in the system and
they must be pointed out and exposed,
and IL necessary ridiculcd, as q step pre-
liminary TO their correction.
DR.. kline further on in his article says
that VIC need first Of all higher public
sentiment in Virginia. Tie Times has
said this more than once. We need a
better sentiment among the educated
classes, among those who have not been
in the habit of patronizing public schools
The old Virginia free school was held
much in contempt by The "aristocracy.'
There is the same sort OF feeling among
a certain class IN Virginia to-day. As
we said last Sunday, these people are
disposed TO throw a sop TO the public
school system in the way of yearly tax
nnd then to wash their hands of The
whole business. We cannot reasonably
expect the system 10 flourish unless th
schools are supported by the best senti
Inent in the State, unless they have th'
moral as well as tho material support OF
the taxpayers at large. These articles
which The Times is now publishing are
addressed especially to the educated
class. We desire to point 10 all,
hut especially to these that pop
sllar education is necessary to a bet
oil, Nir-
ginia abreast with the progressive States
of the age, necessary TO our material as
well as our moral welfare.
The second need which Dr. Kline points
out is the higher percentage of compe-
tent teachers. In this we also heartily
agree. One reason why the attendance
in the public schools IS so slim is that
some teachers do not make school sufii-
GENTLY interesting to the children 10 in
dnce attendance. The superintendent of
q large Sunday-school in Richmond said
some time ago that he knew the good
teachers in his school without seeing
their work In class. He could stand at
his desk and point out the good teach
ers by the attendance in this class and
that He had discovered that the good
teacher always had a good attendance
and the poor teacher a poor attendance.
But VIC cannot hope TO secure the best
teachers unless we pay good prices IN
deed, it has come to pass that in the
country districts very few men are en-
gagged IN the work. as they cannot at
ford to teach for the small compensation
allowed.
DIR. lliinc's third recommendation is a
department of education in two or three
of the best State schools and colleges.
which Will equip our young men to crap
pie IN a mastery fashion with the many
sided phases of modern education IN
this connection he says that he can easily
count upon the fingers of one hand all
the educators OF this State whose opin-
ions on educational questions before a
competent tribunal would be accepted as