West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-07-27
WEST VIRGINIA SCHOOLS.
What is Wrong With Thsm-A Re-
form Should Be the Joint Work
OF Patrons and Teachers.

tains list of questions sent to
school boards in all parts of our
State. The responses by a large
number of the school officers are
also published. with particular
regard TO several OF these questions
the results are not encouraging to
friends of our free school system.
The replies state that in most
cases the teacher takes little real
interest in his work apart from
drawing his salary; that The general
interest in the schools is anything
but what it should be, their ehici-
ency being on down grade rather
than on up grade; that no effort is
made to improve the appearance Of
the school grounds; and that an in
crease in the length Of term would
benefit no one but the teachers.
There is scarcely one dissenting
voice in all the mass of testimony
given. The results are remarkably
harmonious and cannot be explain
ed away by saying that every school
officer is chronic grumbler and
could not resist the impulse to give
an unfavorabe answer.
There are of course two sides to
the problem; the side of the teachers
and the side Of the patrons.
That there are capable, hard
working conscientious teac h ers
everyone must admit. But that
such are majority of the teaching
force seems not to be the case any.
where in Vert Virginia. Yet there
is much to be said in behalf of the
teacher He is paid low salary,
his term covers less than half the
year he is not looked up to as a
leader by the people of his school
district and the best work he does
is little appreciated. He probably
teaches ,b,ce diaero,, sohoais avo,,,
FIVE years. He sees little induce
meut TO give himself the training
necessary to the best resuI,s in ,hc
scbooIIoom. lie also sees little in.
ducemeut to make himself q mar,yr
for the good Of the rising Genera.
ton, and generally SD .akinp he does
not do any such thing. but ouits
teaching with relief after wears nm.
less he is one of those who combine
teaching and farming.
On the the other hand. school
authorities are slow to raise salaries
or otherwise help the situation when
they fail to see that our rurat schools
are progressing. Within the last
few years there has been some in.
crease in teachers wages, but hardly
more than enough TO Offset the i'm
crease in the prices charged for
board.
The schcolhouse Is rightly con.
srdered a pretty good index to the
character Of the community in
which it stands. Judged by this
test, the average sub district in
West Virginia needs to be np and
doing. The country schoolbouse
we most generally see is an arcbi.
tectural abomination stuck into some
corner Of wood lot or perched on
spot Of waste land The brild.
ing is unpainted and dinqy. A pile
of coal ashes lies in front Of the
door and nothing is done toward
removing rocks or stumps from the
playground, if perchance there is
any playground at ALL The inter.
ior is as cheerIess as an empty trunk
room, while the outbuildings would
disgrace The Bowery quarter OF a
large town.
is there any convincing reason
why schoolhou5es should be built on
a dull uniformity Of plan, why the
grounds should be left unhsauifed,
or "hy The room itself should he
less pleasant and attractive than the
average best room in the homes Of