The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-08
public SCHOOLS
At EXPOSITION
Fine Showing Made Demon
stratcs Nirginia's Great Pro-
gross in Education.
EXHIBIT ATTRACTS VISITORS
Fifty-six Counties and Eleven
Cities Are Creditably
Represented.

e 1T is n matter of pride and congratu-
lation that wherever Virginia touches
tho Jamestown Exposition she makes
a showing of which the citizens of the
Old Dominion may be pardonably
proud.
spacc does not permit mentioning
the many points at which Virginia
touches the jamestown 1sxposition but
perhaps the most extensive, and In
some respects tho most difficult has
been the task so splenddiy performed
by Lieutenant Governor j. Taylor Ely
son and his able corps OF assistants
J)r. j. A. G. Chandler Mr.. William NJ
Black, Mr.. Albert Cook Myers, Miss
Minnie Bronson, Mrs Parsons and Mrs.
Heard
Mrs. Parsons and Mr.. Parsons, OF the
International School Farm, of New
York. with their able assistants. Misses
Margaret G. King and Elizabeth T.
Pickett. in the school farm. cultivated
by sixty children from Newport News,
Norfolk and Portsmouth have showu
tC the many Thousands of visitors who
have been attracted by this advanced
movement in education the scope Of
the work and the bearing of ii upon
the life OF the children. The Model
School. under the direction of Mrs.
ticdlu, IpT
parents and teachers 10 witness the
most approved methods OF teaching in
almost al the varied branches OF
school work.
History Fshibit.
The hIstor; exhibit, the central space
In which Is occupied by Virginia, la
one Of the many factors which differ
ontiate the jamestown Exposition from
previous expeditions. Here the inGu-
cnce OF Virginia in the formation o.
the Union ami in fine days OF It's early
history, as wen as the many important
historical incidents which have occurred
within her borders, are shown by
original manuscripts
In tho exhibit of colleges ana uni
versities, the state colleges. headed by
Tho university. attrac. attention and
challenge comparison with the other
colleges and universities.
Nearly All There.
In the Education Building, where
primary and secondary school work is
shown. from many Southern States and
from the cities OF Boston, Minneapolis,
st. Louis, Rochester ana the State OF
Ohio, Virginia occupies twenty-five nun
dred square feet of space. The central
quadrangle contains exhibits from fifty
six counties out of hundred, am
? eleven cities out OIL StNeblG'cIi
This educational column Is headed by
exhibits from Richmond, Newport
News. Lynchburg and Norfolk. 1t at
tracts great interest, having been WIS.,
ifed by over hundred thousand peo-
pie since the hrst OF July. more than
eleven thousand of whom have regis
tered.
Tho exhibit was planned to show the
progress and trend % educational lie
ntr.est la, nf q
life of the child upon the life about
him. its geography, it's history and It's
physical conditions: the efficiency of
the work done in city and county
achooIs. and the broadening of the
sctool curriculum through manual
training, drawing, music and lltera-
ture. ti
Legislative Work.
The constitutional provisions found
in the new Constitution are shown In
Irief as the foundation upon which the
recent progress lis based. The splendid
work OF the General Assembly of 1906,
which marked it among all the sessions
of Legislatures in the nation as an
educational assembly, Is shown in
charts, while in detail the progress OF
virginias schools Is made apparent
10 all.
The Legislature appropriated $4,000
Tor encouraging ana developing Turhi
high schools. This has resulted in the
expenditure by local communities CT
sTS9,Gai; in the building of 149 CEN
tralized rural schools, with ,iigh school
departments, ss3.ol4 of which has been
donated to the school system by pri-
vate individuals.
Increascd Lcyics.
The local levies for public schools
have Increased on an average of four
cents on the hundred dollars in every
county in the State; the number OF dis
tricts levying less than twenty-five
cents to the hundred dollars has de-
creased from $50 to 2l7, and the npm-
her levying forty cents and more has
Increased from AZ to 6S
The number Of male teachers In our
schools has decreased for the first time
in the history of the school system, and
this is an exception to the rule In the
other States in the Union. The aver
age length of the school term has in
creased about one-half month. Tho ay-
erage pay of the teachers has mate
rally increased. The number of pu-