Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-04-14
How to Accomplish Best Results
In Education


8 How to Accomplish Best Result
In Education
paper read before the recent educa
| tioral n Getting at Fairfield. and publish
ed rndel the ausr Ices of the Rock bridg
, Teachers Association.)
. When we regard the high school as
, factor In the education OF the masses
we are looking at the general theme o
education In its largest sense, as vel
as its fundamental purpose.
1t was Patrick Henry. who, will
patriotic fervor, cried, Educate the
people send books throughout the
land"
The question which We wish to dis
cuss is--How can We accomplish the
best results in cur educational system
Certainly the hest results can be OBJ
tanned by closing the ope-room schools
and establishing central high schools.
The subject is an extensive one, be
cause OF the many sides from which IL
has to be viewed.
BY consolidating the schools and es-
tablishing central high schools We can
have better school bouses With better
ventilation, good play grounds, school
libraries, longer terms, better organiEa.
ton, and a more comprehensive course
Of study.
By having good school houses, prop.
erly ventilated, the child Is more
energetic, he 10 less apt to become
restless and Idle. There is nothing
INC re absolutely necessary for mental
work than pure air and an abundance
of 1t.
A good library is of inestimable value
to the school and community. good
books bring the child within touch OF
good writer's and noble lives.
Every true teacher realizes the re.
sponsibility Of her position, and that
the heart, and soul, as we'll as the
mind of the child must be educated.
II we give the pupils and patrons
good literature, we are contributing In
no small way toward implanting In
them, love for those PRINCIPLES which
will make them true men and women.
By longer term, opportunities are
afforded for more thorough work.
Some one has said, that the one room
school with q term OF five months Is
sufficient in the country where most OF
The boys will be farmers. The boys who
are skipping along the mill sides with
'uddy cheeks. and active steps 10 Vir-
sinia today, will BIZ the wealth produc-
'rs in agriculture in the near future,
md good farmers are the best assets
hat State can have. Give them all
he possible Incentive to remain on the
arm and equip them with the weap-
ms OF good high school education.
Who will say that 1t does not pay?
AS the high school is better organized ]
nd has fuller course of study, 1t Sc
ures more regular attendance, and
better material means. Con
act with other, because of larger class
s, makes the child more ar bilious to I
keel. He does not want to see his
lass mates promoted to the next grade ,
nd be left behind himself. a
Put how can the teacher In the one
,om school find time for these things I?
he, perhaps, has forty or fifty restless 4
lildren in one room, with seven
rades whom she has to teach.
In the one room school the child gets
,ly the rudimentary training. If he
Ishes to attend college he must first r
Ike course In some preparatory
hool.
The high school occupies an inter- i
ediate position between the common =,
hool and the college. But, as such 81
small per cent Of the people of Vir- 9
Tia attend college, the high school @,
lst then be looked to as the means
: providing the finishing education f.
/ the large majority Of the people OF ~.
rginia.
Five years ago. there We're less than M
euty country high schools In the fo
ates that seeded in 1861. Today
ere are 35S country high schools in
rginia alone, thus showing that Vir-
Tia is realizing the great advantage
central high school has over the one
,m schools.
Apathy has teen supp!anted by en-
lsirrm and the educational skies OF
'ginia ere bright with hope.