Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-03-30
EDUCATIONAL.
Some of the Results of the Want of
Well Distributed Public High
Schools in Virginia.

$CuUVtS III VII 8hho'
AS result of facts stated last weef
there are existing in Virginia today
the following deplorable conditions
The old private academies which sup
| piled secondary education to our faith
ers have declined and nothing has tax
en- their place In most instance. A
great gulf is fixed between the ele
lnentary school and the college, which
initiate seriously against public vel
fare. Boys and girls of genius, possess
ing qualities of leadership are lost to
the State, as social, moral, civic alo
religious leaders. The influence of tbs
colleges for good is greatly limited bs
limiting the actual number of students
who are prepared to enter these higher
institutions, and, receiving their beDe
fits transmit them back to their com
munlties. Such a chasm between Il e
great peoples school and the colleges
isolate the colleges from the life OF the
peUpjc' IL biOCho ouO "dy VI OoiicSe
students in their attempt to find con.
genial 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 the high
school branches are more nearly relat-
ed to those of the college, the graduate
feels more competent to teach them
and be is readily induced to &C cept po.
sitions IN the high schools. Once CON.
nected with the public school system
bis ssympathies are inevitably engaged,
he leads his superior knowledge and
training and his influence to the i'm
provement 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 ex-
tent draw renewed power from ad-
vanced schools and thus 1t revOlves
about itself. The teachers come from
the ranks of the elementary school and
for this reason can not improve the
of the elementary school.
This question has been Investigated in
other States showing that no
State has an adequate elementary school
system which has not also secondary
school system. ViTginia's system OF
schools. graded or ungrad-
ed. will not rise much higher than they
now are. regardless of the amount of
money expended upon them, until
there is public high school ss stem es
tablished to stimulate their growth
and pull them up.
Another of the deplOrable results of
the lack of more and better equipped
high schools in Virginia we have found
to be the decrease in attendance in the
upper grammar grades. The brighter
pupils, without an object of hope to
attract their unusual mental activities
lose interest when they recognize that
there is nothing further to engage their
pent up pewers Of genius, hence they
abandon prematurely the elementary
school. Thus the efficiency OF the
teachers in the public elementary
schools, the attendance of the pupils in
these schools, and the opportunity for
The creation of company of men and
women as leaders in our rural and ur-
ban life are at present all impaired.
Thomas Jefferson nearly a hundred
years ago in planning high scho, l
system for Virginia, which his follow
ers have delayed until now to put into
operation, said: "By that part of our
plan which prescribes the selection of
youths Of genius from among the
classes of the poor We hope to avail the
State of those talents which are sown
as literally among the poor as the rich,
but which perish without use, If not
sought for and cultivated" Shall we
delay longer in Virginia to offer the
same opportunity to the boy or girl
living in the country district that we
do to the child in the cities?