Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-07-26
Virginia's Public School System.

The report of DR.. Joseph w. South
all, Superintendent of Public In
struction, recently made public, con- |
tains much interesting information
to the public schools OF the
State. The Richmond Leader has
made a condensation Of this report,
In which the following facts and
figures are given: oo
The school census taken In lVOO
showed the total number of persons
of school age in this State to be
SOL ,312, of whom 1850 were white
and 265. 1858 were colored. This was
an increase in the white school pop
ulation of 2S,S90 and decrease IN
the colored school population Of
9.445, as compared with the census
taken in 1895.
Comparing the present conditions
of the schools with that of two years
ago when the last school report was
issued the following exhibit is made
In 1901 there were enrolled In the
public schools 25S, 222 white and l23,-
$3.50 colored pupils, as against 24l Guy
white and III 1919 colored pupils in
1899. showing a total increase OF
30. 1852. During the same period the
average daily attendance Increased
from 141, 1882 to 156,472 among the
white and from 81, 254 to 60, 44O among
the colored pupils. There was an in
crease of las in the number OF white
schools. The increase in the number
of teachers employed was 17S, and
the length OF the average school term
was increased from 5.97 to III
months. While there was slight
increase 10 the average monthly sal.
arv of the teachers, both male ana
female, the whole cost oi puoilc ecu
cation for eacE pupil enrolled was
reduced from $1.4l to 81 ~ per
month. The value of school prop
erty owned by districts has grown
from So. 1886, 1865 80 to 1908. 634 o., and
the total expenditures for all public
school purposes from $l,971 1854 AZ to
to 81. 0S4, 747.74, showing total ln-
crease In property values of $967, 46S =
81. and in school expenditures OF
$115, 4S3 O5. From carefully compiled
statistics it is estimated that the cost
of the colored schools for the year
inst ended was $434 ,699.21, or some
UDllR leeb Gudh OhO AONA' VA Wv
cost of the system.
This is a gratifying exhibit, and
especially to be noted is the fact that
this State is now expanding nearly
half a million dollars year in the
education of the negro.
DR.. Southall dwells particularly on
the fact that there are too many
schools. He speaks of this as the
wild and insane tendency to multi
DIV small school districts, to put a
schoolhouse on every hilltop and in
every valley"
Attention has time and again been
called to this palpable mistake, and
at the late Conference of School
SUPERINTENDENT at the University Of
Virginia it was unanimously resolve d
to bring about a reform in this partl
cular. With fewer schools teachers
will be better paid and the session
prolonged.
Dr.. Southall also speaks OF the I'M
portance of having better teachers
Virginia has wonderfully good teach
ers, considering the small salaries
that are paid, and this fact was east
ly discerned at the gathering o.
teachers at the University. Most o.
the teachers there and most OF the
teachers in Virginia are women, bui
they are women of high character
and good standing in their severa
localities, and the best part of it al
is that they are doing everything
that they can to improve themselve
and to make their teaching more
effective.
The public schools of Virginia arr
not as good as they ought to be, bu
there is ground for encouragement
and hope. The schools are improv
ing in response to popular demand
and they will continue to improve a
sentiment grows.