The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-18
Virginia High Schools

tuition fees of $3.50 month. Think what
$3.50 or $500 year would do for school
of this kind!
Again, in county like James City.
where the teachers are fairly well paid.
hut the parents do not know what a high
school is, and do not continue their chill
dren in school beyond the sixth or sew
| enth year, what an impetus towards en-
couragement would BIO given If the trus-
| tees had 1t in their power to equip a
| school for secondary education! 1t would
at least give those children who arc too
! poor to go away from home a chance.
and others who at present do not care.
| would be led TO caro- by sheer force of
lexaAaple.
| Secondly, some objection was made al
the Lynchburg convention to the pravisn
contained in the committees recommen-
dation and also inserted in tho pending
bilk that the district or districts raise
an amount equal to the State appropria-
ton. It was urged that In many Of the
poor counties OF the State this proyiso
would preclude tho possibility OF their
obtaining State aid. 1t would seem aa
il there was some truth In that assertion
at first glance; and yet two considerations
occur to mo as being near true. One is
that In no section of this or any State In
q district. or two or more districts, that
cannot AFFORD $3.50 or even S400. II the
superintendent and trustees really want
and really do something towards getting
it. In fact, T think the statement could
go almost uncontradicted by any adverse
instance that In seventy-five per cent. OF
tho counties more than $3.50 a year lis
| now being spent on someone school for
instruction In secondary branches. The
other consideration Is that some proviso
must be inserted, else any one or two
teachers of country schools may ask for
| the appropriation and attempt to do what
is being done so largely now under our
existing conditions. which we hope to
| ameliorate-to maintain high school"
on $3.50 or $500 per annum Tho total
amount used for the support of a high
school department should be- at least
enough to provide for teaching the minis
mum requirements of the State Board Of
Education for approved high schools
which are ridiculously low already.
have taken for granted that any iegis-
lntor or friend of public education who
may read tho foregoing Is aware of tho
mutiform benefits OF affording secondary
instruction in the rural sectons-and wo
Virginlans are mostly rural, and I hope
we always will be-in the way OF AFFORD
ing heretofore unknown opportunities for
the advancement of the country boy and
girl beyond the ends attainable In the
common school, which ought TO be tho
minimum for the present day American.
In also opening the door Of our colleges
and universities to these, In affording
better teachers for the primary schools.
and In affording all tho advantages pos-E
sible and probable that n higher training
will bring. II hewill but realize that tina
Virginia high school IL the most poverty
stricken OF all of it's institutions. receiv,f
ing aid from neither state nor privata
sources, and that 1t Is folly 10 appro
pirate money to our higher institutions.
il they arc provided with pupils who ara
rot really prepared to enjoy the oppof
tunties they afford. We may rest the
case on what good scnse ap5 patriotism
Will dictate, n l.