Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1906-01-26
Public High Schools In Virginia.
ARTICLE 2.

As a rusult of the foregoing facts
there are existing in Virginia to-
day the following deplorable con-
dtions. The old private acadamles
which supplied secondary education
to our fathers have declined and
nothing has taken their place in
most instances. A great gulf is
fixed between the elementary school
and the college, width initiates
seriously against public welfare.
Boys and girls of genius, possessing
qualities Of leadership are lost to
the State, as social, moral, civic
and religious leaders. The infiu-
ence of the colleges for good is
greatly limited The actual number
Of students who are prepared to
enter these higher institutions, and
receiveing their benefits transmit
them back to their communities.
Such chasm between the great
peoples school and the colleges is
ISOLATE the colleges from the life of
the people. It blocks the way of
college students in their attempt
to find congehial life MS teachers in
the public schools. The violent
contrast existing between element
airy school subjects and the subject
recently pursued y me college
man az woman il so great AS not
to attract teachers from the ranks
of College gradn Bnt the
high school branches arc more
nearly related to these Of the col
lege, the graduate feels more COM
neient TO teach them and he Is real
| ly induced to accept positions IN
the high schools. Once conne9t"d
with the public schonl sysfem his
sympathIoa a,e inevitably engaged.
he lends his superior knowledge
and training and his influence to
the improvement of those schools
from which his own pupils must be
drawn.
In Virginia it is the case that
the elementary school does Not to
any extent draw renewed power
frcm advanced schools and thus 1t
reyolves about itself. The teachers
come from the ranks of the elemen'
tary school and for this reason can
not improve the conditions of the
elementary school. This question
has been Investigated ~ fftteer
other States showing that no State
has an adequate elementary schoo
system which has not also a secon
dary school system. Hrgl"Ia'
system of elementary schools, grad
ed or upgraded, will not rise mucl
higher than they now are ,regar''leS
of the amount Of money expended
upon them, until there is n pnbh
high school system established t
stimulate their growth and pMI
them np.
Another nf The depiorable result
Of the hack of more and better eq
nipped high schools We have foun
to be the decrease in attendance /
I the upper grammar grades. In
o brighter pupils, without an obje(
of hope TO attract their unusual me
tai activities, lose interest whe
they recognize that there is not'
= ing further to engage their pent
no powers Of genius, hence the
abandon prematurely the elemen
ary school. Thus the efficiency
= the teachers in the public elemel
:. tary schools, the attendance of tt
= pupils in these schools, and the o
portunity for the creation of a cor
!. pany of men and women as leade
in the rural and uiban life arc
!, present all impaired.
y Thomas Jefferson nearly a hn
~ dred years ago in planning a hl'
. school system for Virginia, whit
e his followers have delayed un
9 now to put into operation, saId:-
II "By that part of our plan WIN
:. prescribes the selection of yout
=, of genius from amorg the class
o. of the poor we hope to avail
State of those talents which {
\ sown as literally among the p;
e. as the rich, but which perish vii
:, out use. if not sought for and C
tiyatea." Shall we delay longer
'" Virginia to offer the same oppor
nity to the boy or girl living IN