The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-02-20
PUBLIC SCHOOLS AGAIN
An Earnest Plea lot Improved Conditions.
Neill. Va, Feb. 10Th. 1906.

Neil. Va. Feb 18th 1906.
With liberal Legislature interested ia
the much needed cause of educatlou the
question arises as 10 whether our school
officers n this State viii rise 10 the lm-
portance OF the great trust rrPo-rd IN
them b., liberal appropriations ior this
and other purposes. aud use there
moneys % the best advantage. We are
ON the eve oi taking one of the greatest
steps forward in our history Boa the line
oi a higher education. the meats are iur-
uished. We must see that they afc prop
erly and prohtably used. With different
existing conditions in different counties
a. 10 quality, especially Oi school hmid-
ings, some having them well equipped
with modern appliances, the-e iuhd-
can give more extended terms. higher
grade teachers and graded -chOu =, ilee
books, etc.
Where these conditions DO not exist "a
new map of the county showing thr
school district is needed uu which 10 l'-
cat. school houses. n very important
matter. DO wc ever hear ui al ndiyld-
uai erecting "a nice dwelling or building
without carefully drawn plans. showing
size. cot and artistic appearance? Let
us then have model Ol bun iiug-. ui
suitable size. 10 accommodate thirty or
more children, modern desks to seat two.
aisles sufficient 10 allow iugps- and
egress without confusion, auu a good
stove. a cloak room Tor hanging cluahs
aud OyercOats 10 dry, entrance doors Tor
each hall of building, "A long sci oi steps
with scrapers. In rear oi plat orm, eN
tending the width of building. lctu black
board cover thlsentIreiy aud oi sufficient
depth for large aud small scholars, that
upon this spelling may bee taught ana
arithmetic explained, dictatlon given,
thus helping the teacher aud fixing per
manenuy the knowledge OF these and
other branches explained thereon ln the
pupils mind At this progre- slve axe
with kindefgarteuaudt the most approved
methods oi instruction iu Use, can We al
| ford 90 continue the old way, when
school was taught from sunni 90 sun
/ set Now this work "a proven. can be-
more thoroughly done from SO a. m.
/ 10 I y. 10. with AN hour int"rmisslOn
( for lunch aud recreation. Your teachers
are up 90 date, attending uormals and
/ learning how % H. 10 hr done. Other
wise how vain the efforts aud tie results
aiteryears OF sacrifice by parcnt-in every
| way To keep these children at school.
/ What do we find? Results show and az
/ THE proof of the puddiug is ia the eat
/ ing Ia homely phra-cl. We -ee how lew
we'll educated people there are from pub
/ lie schools
And Just here would say. The idea OF
/ boys. in the few hours oi study. Icing re-
ouired or expected even to cat stove
wood for a public school. or girls 10
sweep the accumulation Of mud from
/ these houses, is preposterOus, as a public
service like this should have a lunitOr TO
sweep after school. build fire in the morn
| ing and dust aud hringa bucket OF water.
! Ii Is degrading for teachers 90 be expect
ed to perform these menial services ut
school. and where these conditions exist.
clean clothes must suffer, and II lew
shade trees are lett on the grounds they
soon die from the hacking and barking
INDUCED in by boys who only go 10
school for play time.
We an. depressing somewhat Just here,
20 must return 10 tie building and site
to be- located upon, both important, a
everything in connection with publc
school has an educational effect. 10 say
nothing OF the heautIiying of The cOun-
try by pleasant surroundings without
appreciably increased expense. Then, let
us have dry location, IN "A grove 1t pos
sible. if not. arbor day can assist IN sOlY-
| ing this problem ii properly used Let
the building be we'll propOrtlOred, with
projecting roof and neat, brick Hue, SIX
good windows with suitable iastenlngs
aud weights, modern slat shutters and
all well painted. and good outbuildlngs
l. there any person today who will not
when rebuilding consider all these re
auirements in assuring permanency ana
attractiveness, and mar the beauty by
great wooden shutters, costing more 10
make, hang and keep IN order, than
modern slat shutters with se.t-hulding
hinges. aside from the breaking OF glass
incidental to the banging and iall oi poles
used To hold them? II IL well known
that constant repairing with ustrgice-
able. out-of-date implements and We
hicles is Improbable, and IL is equally or
even more so with public buildings,
keeping whitewashed aud other repairs.
Occasionally we see a building thatcan
he changed and with small expenditure
renovated and worth preserving; as a
rnle. however, we see a new dwelling Is
built and we cannot see. or are we Will
ing To believe from what we see, that
what was good enough for our grand
fathers will do for u.s. Conditions have
and are radically changingand wecannot
keep out OF the swim. and II we don
strive on we will sink and drown. with
modern buildings there must be modern
ideas. upward tendencies, a higher grade
of proficiency in theory and practice.
We are undertaking, az ! have stated,
TO give more thorough instruction III
six hours OF schooling today than was
given in my youth from sun to sun, a
time "When wOmau's work was never
done. and am about the age for chlo-
roform to be administered. These con
difions. You say, require money: granted
we have il: shall We not then get on a
higher plane. Just "A we DO in Our homes,
bV adding to their attractiveness and
beautifying our surroundings as We art
prospered financially
LEI teachers be paid a liberal salary
for a longer term that they may qualnl
Themselves for their profession, as oul
physicians. lawyers and Others do, ano
even then it is necessary for constant
study 70 keep abreast OF and posted il
the rapid progress OF new discoveries
and we want to employ the most skillu
in any line.
In am article published in The Free
Lance some weeks ago, the writer spoke
of a time limit for public school children
cannot agree-with this; but their EN-
trance and advantages should be giyeI