Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1906-01-19
Pubic Education.

may not have read the message o
the outgoing Governor, we Civ
below an extract from it, setting
forth his views along the line o.
public education. 1t is interesting
as fore-shadowing an improvement
in the system of education in Nir
ginia-one of the burning question
Of the day.
This has been greater pOpula
interest taken in public education
in the past four wears than perhaps
in the entire history of the state
Daring this time the welfare and
the progress of our free schools
have elected as never before the
concern of the best character and
talent of our Commonwealth.
There is a hopeful sign, for pop
ular Indifference to our free schools
has been the chief cause Of their
slow growth. We need longer
terms, fewer but better schools and
better teachers: and to this end we
must have an annual appropriation
of not less then 100000 in add
ton to the special fund of 100000
which would give 100000 annual
ly. over and above the income de-
rived from the school tax. But
this increased appropriation and
these improvements will only par
italy relieve the system of a fatal
inertia. The remedy is deeper. for
real educational vigor aud progress
now pleadinglv await the helping
hand of law of compulsory atten-
dance. This change is necessary
and inevitable sooner or later
The individual rights of parents or
guardians will be deliberately and
refnedlv asserted to obscure the
merits of the Issue. But one con-
sideration should not be confined
to the rights of parents or guard.
ians. We must think of the rights
of the children themselves. Their
rights are the necessities of the
State, and who is to assert these
rights if the State does not? Chill
dren are too ignorant to know or
too weak to assert themselves Pub.
lie education is a public necessity.
Only upon this ground can proper
" be taken by force of law to
maintain public schools.
Herein the State exerts her SOW
ereign power in defence of herself;
and if she can force citizen to paw
for a public necessity why san she
not with equal justice force the
parents to permit the child to share
in the advantages incident to this
necessary contribution? And if
the State can prevent violence or
wrong to the body of the child, she
can with equal right prevent injury
or wrong to the mind Of the child.
About fifty out of every one hun
bred white children are regular at
PENDANTS upon our public schools.
Thus it is apparent that poverty, or
ignoranc, or avarice of the parents
or guardian withholds education
from the child. Is it possible that
these considerations, should be
permitted to imperil the State?
Compulsory attendance prevails
in every state of the Union, with
exception of the Southern States,
and even here Maryland and Ken
lucky have broken the reactionar,
letters. and it NAV be generally at.
6rmed that wherever the free
school is efficient, either in Ameri-
ca or abroad, legalized compulsory |
attendance prevails. |. therefore,
press upon you the Inauguration of
this system, with such fexibility in
administration as may be expedient
under section 1873 of the Constitu-
ton. If, however, the General As.
semblv is unwilling to take this
step for the whole State, earnest
ly recommend your honorable BODY
to empower any county or city OF
the state with the option Of estab-
fishing compulsory attendance.
1t is with inexnressible concern
that | commend this great enter
prise to your patriotic consideration
for | am persuaded that if you
make this transcondent codtribu-
ton to the progress, intelligence
and virtue of the Commonwealth,
this General Assembly will be at
fectionately and gratefully recalled