Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-01-17

Some Results OF Want of Public
High Schools

! SUING hesuAts OF Want of Publ
High Schools
The old private academies whic
supplied secondary education .
our fathers have declined and moth
ing has taken their place in mos
Instances. A great gulf Is Axe,
between the elementary school an,
the college, which initiate
seriously against public welfare
Boys and girls Of genius, possessing
qualities Of leadership, are lost tC
the State, as social, moral, civic
and religious leaders. The in,
nnence Of the colleges for good il
greatly limited by limiting the
actual number Of students who are
prepared to enter these higher
Institutions, and, receiving their
benefits, transmit them back TO
their communities. Such a chasm
between the great peoples school
and the colleges isOlats the colleges
from the life Of the people. It
blocks the way Of college students
In their attempt to find congenial
life as teachers in the public
schools. The violent contrast
existing between elementary school
subjects and the subjects recently
pursued by the college man or
woman is so great as not to attract
teachers from the ranks of college
graduates. But tho high school
branches are more nearly related
TO those of the college, the grad. |
uate feels more competent TO teach |
them and he is readily induced to |
accept positions in the high |
schools. Once connected With the
public school system his sympathies
IRE inevitably engaged, be lends
1is superior knowledge and train
ng and his influence to the i'm
,rovement of those schools from
which his own pupils must be
lrawH.
In Virginia il is the case that
he elementary school does not TO
ny extent draw renewed power
rom advanced schools and thus it
evolves about itself. The teachers
one from the ranks of the ele..
lentary school and for this reason
an not improve the conditions
the elementary school. This
ues:ion has been investigated IN
fteen other States showing that .
o State has an adequate ele. h
entary school system which har d
ot also a secondary school system. 0
irginia's system of elementary b
'hooIs, graded or ungraded, will
IT rise much higher than they q
wv are, regardless Of the amount Z
money expended upoh them. Il
It'll there is public high school ii
stem established to stimulate :,
eii growth and pull them up. 81
Another of the deplOrable results z
the lack of more and better
uipped high schools In Virgins
have found to be the decrease =
attendance in TIE upper gram !.
n grades. The brighter pupils, "
thout an object of hope to ~
,ract their unusual mental p
.ivities, lose interest when they "
'ognize that there ie nothing ~
'ther to engage their pent-up ="
Ters of genius, hence they
lndon prematurely the ele. ).
ntary school. Thus the efficiency OF
the teachers in the public CO.
4 entary schools. the attendance 70
the pupils in these schools, and so
opportunity for the creation DO
4 company OF men and women ne
eaders is our rural and urban eli
are at present. all impaired. '
'horas Jefferson nearly a pr,
dred years ago in planning a cas-
b school system for Virginia, reg
Gu his followers have delayed He
Il now to put operation, said: equ
that part of cur pl; which bus
the selection of youths day
enius from among the classes his
he POOR We hope to avail the He
q Of those talents which are 4
q cs literally among the poor ln.I
the rich, but which perish maj
tout use, IL not sought for and Der
lvated." Shall We delay longer Jud
Virginia to offer the same Nor
'rtnnity to the boy or girl The
g in the country district that war
o to the child in the citiesp $50
u,.,, rite