The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-17
"A System of
Indipidual Education
try To them scholars would 60 to-
learn a fcwamonths, and not to practice

try. To them scholars would 20 to
learn fcwamonths, aud not to practice II
deviltry for years
+ Correspondence schools stand as #
protest against almost the whole OF
our present system. Their methods
show how little the real scholar needs
direction. They simply chop up tho
books into sections for separate less
sons. and thus tend to fix the scholars
attention on definite portions Of the
textbook. Where there is no text
book, the correspondence professor
simply mails his lecture notes instead
OF reading them to his students for
them to copy III
To the ordinary boy In the country.
especially In the South the corresponds
ence schools seem to afford the best
possible means OF help In his mental
culture. They should be almost ideal
institutions Their general theory must
prevail over the older system.
But they must strike out new paths,
or they will fail Of any good purpose.
a correspondence school that offers
the high-schoo course" or ''tlle college
course" MS now made up, Is an ana
chronism, modern institution for the
cultivation Of dark-age learning. ~
| AS have repeatedly lntlmated. the
newspapers are important organs Of
! education. The educational department
l
zation OF this general function This
department might we'll attempt to edu-B
| cate as we'll as to talk about edu-t
cation. This, also, The Times-Dispatch
really does. with its admirable Colonial
history. which Is so managed as to be 4
as good as a course In the correspond
ence school. 1t Is really q part OF the
educational department,
l Such department in every great
11i 1,,, ,ftrI,$ Ill ot tlv,,4c 0v. o,,n
continually, runEinstructlon in any soi-s
i ence or timely subject of learning. Tho
4 newspapers Of the South, perhaps. owe
4 such a service to their people. The
editor or Instructor In any particular
+, line might correspond, either In the
paper or through the mall, or both,
with those reading his subject. thus
making an ideal correspondence school.
\ Actual public instruction, and espe-
cially normal Instruction. In the meth-5
DDS of teaching applicable to PARENTS
( rs we'll as to teachers, would fill a
. great void In the educational propa-l
ganda. The newspapers, the educa-,
tional and home papers. with but
little effort might SO stimulate homo!
study and training as to make It mat
ter Of superlative national Importance
The proposed University of Richmond
should be SO planned that 1t might ba
IL EeSlueTCSS SCuOOl lOT1 luOSe gsWuOSc EClEs
cumstances allow It; and it should ba
, an examining faculty for all those pre-
( pared, no matter how or where, accord
!, Ing to thest German system And IL
!, should also, by correspondence, direct
], the studies Of students of all ages and
both sexes all over the South. who de-
sire to follow any branch OF learning.
1t should examine It's correspondence
/ students In Richmond without dstinc-
ton from any of its resident students
4 After passing in the required branches
0 and the preparation of a proper thesis
i tho nonresident student In the most
: Inaccessible district in the South
G should receive his doctorate as we'll q:
81 the student who has spent ten year.
: studying In Richmond.
The university should be chartered
= Immediately with the general powers o.
a teaching, an examining. and q cor,
Irespondence university. Asa CORES
: pondence university. it might begin Al
: once, and employ, for part Of thei1
$ time, any necessary professors In the
nearby institutions that 1t Is desired
r other desirable instructors. This de
h partment should be made to pay from
Q tho beginning. and perhaps It might Z
n self build up the whole institution.
7 The library of the University OF Rich
: mond sho!d be used as leading ad
= junct Of the correspondence courses
9 and all books desirable for reading l,
= connection with any study should b,
= freely loaned to the correspondenceist stu
I dents for small fees and under prope
- restrictions.
The power Of the correspondence ide,
= 1 will have to be seized by the regula
- institutions of learning, or the competition
: may end in their ruin. It would b,
= very appropriate II a strong, new In
y stltution would unite all the valuable
{, and dignifed traditions Of the old, witt
10 the undoubted strength of the new idea
! and thus develop a doubly powerful In
stltution.
ID w. AfDRICH.
If Jefferson, Va.
l.