The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1906-02-16

le foregoing lacls.
7, Jos. d. Eggleston, Jr.,
< Supt. Public instruction.
= What Can the School Trustees Do for tn
+ Public Schools
am more and more convinced bl
my study Of and experience in TN
public school work that next to th
= patrons themselves the success Of thI
.. public schools in any district depend
most of all upon the character and ef
- iiciency Of the school trustees.
a good board Of trustees means good
schools, so far as they are provided
with funds to provide and maintain
them, and poor trustees mean poor
e schools, however ample the funds may
be and however active may be the
Superintendent Of the county.
1t is really a position Of the greatest
responsibility and honor, and the ul-
innate success Of any school system
must hinge on the local supervision
and control exercised by the school
trustees.
Let us notice a few Of the duties i'm
posed upon the District School Board,
and thus the vital importance Of its
work will be made manifest
LIST. To provide suitable school
houses with proper furniture and ap-
planes, and care for, manage and
control the school property OF the dis
trict. For these purposes itmay lease,
purchase, or build such houses ac-
cording to the eXigencies Of the dis
trict and the means at its disposal.
No one who has had any experience
in teaching will be inclined to I'M
derate the importance Of "a suitable
schoolhouse with proper furniture and
appliances in order TO accomplish
the best work in a school.
At some future time / hope to pre-
sent my views as 10 the ideal school
building; at present l will mention
only few essentials to any suitable
schoolhouse.
1t must be large enough TO accomo-
date the pupils who attend without
undue crowding.
1t must be comfortably heated so
that the children will not have to !
crowd around the stove to keep from
freezing on cold days.
1t must be Of good pitch and so
ventilated that the children will not |
be forced to breathe foul air to the in
jury Of their health.
1t should also be neat and attractive |
in appearance both without and with
in.
Moreover, it should be equipped with |
comfortable desks, with good and suf-
ficient blackboards, and with maps,
charts and other aids in teaching.
Now it is plainly the duty Of the
school boards 10 supply such school
houses thus equipped. Have they
done so in this county?
! have visited nearly every school
house in the county and find that
most Of them are rented buildings,
many Of them built for school pur-
poses. II is with deep regret that I
feel constrained 10 add for / want the
people to know the actual condition
Of things in order that they may find
a remedy that at least one-third Of
the schoolhouses are utterly unfit 10
be used as such and will have 90 be-
condemned another year.
Another one-third are very unat-
tractive looking and greatly i'm need Of
repairs and paint or whitewash. The
remaining one-third will do fairly
well until we are able TO DO better. a
few such a. the schoolhouse at Pros
pect and the new one az Abilene are
models Of their kind. But not one 10
the county Is as well equipped as it
should be-.
However, / am glad 20 be able 90
assert confidently after some months
Of observation and investigation, that
/ believe the trustees have i'm the
main, done the very best that could
reasonably be expected Of them with
the meager funds at their disposal.
Only give the trustees the money by
an additional district levy Of lOc on
the 500 and you may rest assured
that they will wisely expend it in
this deplorable condition
Of things and in supplying in a few
years all our children with suitable
schoolhouses properly equipped.
End. ITO employ teachers and TO
dismiss them when delinquent, inef-
iicient, or in any wise unworthy Of
the position"
1 can sincerely and heartily congrat-
llate the trustees Of this county on the
corps Of teachers they have engaged
FOR the current session. In my visits
10 the schools ] have more than once
entered some Anticipated and dilapida-
ed schoOlhouses almost sick at heart
1t the appearances Of things and after
listening for an hour to tine skillful
eachlng Of the Normal graduate and
Ooking upon the interested faces Of ,
he children, l havealmost lost sight to
he ugly log cabin, the apology Of a
the scarcity Of desks, the T,
'bsence Of maps, and have come away
With hope revived; for after all the
eacher is the main thing, and if the .
rustees will continue to secure good /,
eachers, good teaching will be done
n spite Of adverse conditions. =
But oh! What folly and false "
economy to furnish a $40 a month y