The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-01-20

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PRcF. NiLEEls MAX rs fsEP oRT.
West yifginian knogiedses
sSrecelp III Tie lad Yanced pages ~
tlls port of te sup intendent ofl
free Schools, Prof ssor Thoss ~ Viii
l{lers In the itfoduc lion ofessori
Miller Says NJ In Submitting this, the
I.slxteenth Biennial Report Of the DEE
Ipartment of Free Schools Of the State
lest Virginia, ~ am pleased ito say
that the educational work, OF the State
has made considerable progress With.
LIN the last two years, and that}the OUT
look for the future.is very encourag.
lng.T The report shows that West Yir.!
GINA expended 81, $50, 2O3.2S for the
support OF her public schools for the
school year 1soS,O4 The appropria.
lions for the other educational insti.:
tntions Of the! II State amounted ID.
1881, 1891, OF which the West Viz.
GINA University received s13O,32SO1,
and the six State Normal schools $72,-.
$50. For tlieyear 1904 the total emu.
meration was 32C;24O; the enrolment
was $4,000, or about 75 per cent Of
the enumeration, while the average at.
tendance was 15S,2G4. The number
OF teachers employed was 1897, and
the average length Of the school
term reached 123 days triAe over
SIX months. The average monthly sal.
airy OF teachers was S33.5G. Attention
is called to the fact that the average
term Of six months is reached By in.
Guiding the longer terms OF eight,
nine and ten months In towns and cit
les, and that 1t is not likely that.
more than thirty per cent. Of the chill.
dren in our Stale have school prlyi.
leges extending beyond the minimum
term OF five months, and many have
shorter term than this. Superintend.
ent Miller recommends that the mini.
mum School term be Increased to six
months and that provision be made 10
assist sparsely settled sections Of the
State by slipplementing 6the local
school fund by a special appropriation
from the general school fund. Pro.
fessor Miller makes a number of wise
recommendations for the better.
:ncnt Of the schools. 1.-THE report is
ful! Of interest. St
II the Legislature should carry out
the recommendation Of Governor
White and abolish four Of the State
Normal Schools, the local school
would be greatly improved ana
Strengthened. The curriculum would
no doubt be radically changed and
new teachers would be added 70 the
Force. =.
With hut two schools Of the kind
in the State be provided for, more
y
liberal appropriations could be allow
ed, The prestige which a diploma
from: a real Normal school would give
would stimulate attendance and i'm.
loubtcdly increase the enrolment Of
The Fairmont Normal very materially
AS the courses of study: stand at pres.
ent the Normal schools are IN direct
competition with the preparatory
hnnches of the State University, the
tlenominational schools and III some
instances even with high schools
AnG this competition becomes more
marked in the case Of the high schools
as they strengthen. thaif ccai sas. The
"'oiition of four of the so.calieL Nor
mails. as the governor terms them
and the reorganization Of the rer,ain.
Ing two, making them real Normal
schools would be great scp for.
"atd, BY the very nature or the
sch, OILS, competition such as has been
experienced would be obviated and
the two schools placed upon higher
plahe would become educational cen.
tess worthy of distinguished. consid.
Grafton. We think the governor Is
'isht In his contention that The Stale
$ supporting too many schools for
purely academic training.
The Legislators Classified.
Some one has classified the men,
berS of the Legislature no IN ncou-