Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-12-19

of the State. Three-fourths of our
people live in the country and must
depend upon the rural schools for
education. These schools must be
improved, must be given higher and
more thorough courses if we are
ever to possess a great educational
elevation of the masses of our peo-
pile. Recognizing this necessity,
the last General Assembly pond
ed to their needs and made an APP
preparation for the creation of high
schools in all the counties of this
State. The Securementofthe State
appropriation has been made de-
pendent upon an equal amount be-
ing provided the school from other
sources. Opportunity is now
given to have splendid high schools
throughout this State. Already 149
highschools have beencreatedund
this act. The rural communities
are generously responding to the
legislative aid, and the time seems
t. be approaching when the ch l.
dren-in the country can obtain an
education, or equip themselves for
'Ollege, equal to those in the cities
| hope those communities which
nave not done so will avail them
selves of this act, for | want every
section of this Commonwealth to
have opportunity to give its chill
dren such an education as will pre-
pare them to discharge the duties
of citizenship and the responsible
ties of life. If this present appro-
priation is insufficient, l favor the
next General Assembly increas-
ing it, until this purpose can be
accomplished.
But, the greatest evils that have
afflicted the public schools of Vir-
ginia for years have been the short
ness of the school terms and the
low salaries paid the teachers. The
school terms are entirly too short.
This works greatly to the disad-
vantage alike of pupil and teacher.
The pupils cannot have that daily
and continuous increase in know
ledge and growth in mental facul-
ties which are so necessary to edu-
cstional development. Frequently
pupils forget during the long
vacation the knowledge acquired
during short session. The shert
terms make it impossible TO get
for these schools the best profess
sional teachers. Persons of energy
and requirements will not make
engagements which give five
months of work and pay, and seven
months of leisure. The result is.
that many of the teachers of the
short term school have as their
chief vocation some other business.
and they engage in teaching merely
as simply supplementary work. or,
as the drummers say, a side line"
Many use teaching as n stop
ping station between girlhood and
matrimony. Many teach during
the few inclement winter months
while waiting for spring and the
commencement of active farm
work. Trained and professional
teachers, who are indispensable to
a great and successful educational
system, can only be obtained for
those schools where the terms are
sufficiently long to justify teaching
to be pursued as an entire and alb
solute occupation. Every school
in this State should run at least
seven months in the year. The
best interest of teacher and pupil
alike demands this.
Then, as previously stated, the
pay OF the teachers of this Stae
should be increased. Virginia. on
an average, has been paying the
poorest salaries of any state.
Seventy-seven per cent of our
teachers are woman, and until this
present session their yearly aver
age salary was only $191.14. The
cost of living has greatly increased
in all directions and yet we expect
our female teachers to live on that
paltry sum. So small is the COM
pensation paid incomparison to
other occupations that our male
teachers have been reduced from
63 per cent in 1876 to % per
cent last year. If this rate of de-
crease continues the male teacher
in Virginia will soon be an extince
specie. For the work done, the
responsibility imposed, the capac-
ity required, the school teachers of