The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-24
have at last been given q chance to
enter the portals Of higher learning.

have at last been given onahco "
enter the portals Of higher learning
Better Salaries for Teachers.
Although the better typo Of school
which is being established In Virginia
has necessitated large increase IN
the teaching force. we feel that our
record in raising teachers salaries
Is also worthy Of particular mention.
OF teachers, white and colored, for
men was sa6.86. and for women, s2s.l1.
Last year the same salaries Were: For
men. $47.T4, and for women, S37. 40. IN
1906 the white male teachers In the
State received an average monthly
salary of s42.21. In 1909 this had
been increased to $3.50. In 1905 the
salary of white female teachers was
S29.s3. In 1909 the same salary was
s40.27. While this is most encourag-
Ing. we shall not be satisfied until
every good teacher in the State re-
ceives a good salary. Tho other kind
Of teacher is expensive at any price.
Special Classes and Libraries.
Reports for last year show that we
had manual training classes In Lib
rooms, music in 1,456. agriculture IN
7e6, domeNtic science in 253, and 20
kindergartens.
The Legislature of 1908 appropriated
$4,000 to encourage the establishment
Of Libraries. Whenever the teachers
and friends of any public school raise,
by private subscription, and tender 70
the clerk of any district school board
the sum Of SIS. the board is required
to appropriate SIS out of local school
funds, and the State gives $40. thus
securing at least a $40 library from
list of books approved by the State
Board of Education. The local board is
also required to furnish neat book.
case. Since February /. 1908, more
than 400 Of these Libraries have gone
! into all parts of the State. and besides
the people have enjoyed the privileges
OF our travelling school libraries, Which
are under the control of the Virginia
State Library.
SchOolhouses.
Last year Virginia built o4s school
buildings and enlarged forty-tive, at a
total cost of s1,037.SO3.5 or this
amount s1ss,95O was loaned to local
school boards from the State Literary
| Fund, at 4 per cent. interest, the prln-
/! cipal to be repaid In fifteen annual IN
| stalments Over 100000 was realized
from private subscriptions. The rest
of the money came out OF the local
! school funds Virginia builds very
nearly the same number of school
| houses each year, yet she shows a
steady falling off in the total number
OF school buildings in the State. The
smaller number of houses. the in
creased number Of rooms and the in
creased cost OF construction tell at
once OF the progress made, not only
in the consolidation of rural schools
but also in providing better sanitary
arrangements. better ventilation, bet
! ter lighting and more comfortable, at
tractive and commodious quarters.
Agricultural Education.
i I think the most prominent feature
OF our work during the last year was
the fruitful and Intelligent effort made
to link the school closer to practica
life. 1 have already mentioned III.
fact that we have established nun.
Der of agricultural departments In higt
schools. A high school having one Of
these departments Is called an agri-
cultural high school. These schools
are distributed over the State. one ir
each congressional district. with the
Idea that their good influences shall
not be restricted alone to tho count,
in whic they are located. but may
radiate over the adjoining courses, 4
number OF our common schools have
also begun the study OF agriculture
tpuL Inc great movement fWtiiSL lids az
tracted special attention Is the lorna
ton OF boys clubs under the rule tina
each member shall cultivate an acr,
OF ground Between twenty-five AM
thirty counties--or one fourth OF til,
State-are already fully organized I'm
der the supervision OF competent ex
perts, In some OF the counties wher
1t was not possible to send an exper
i the teachers and local officials an,
citizens have come to the rescue, an
through the medium OF agriculture
II fairs have caused q great interest no
Il only in the cultivation OF corn. but ais
II in the development of school garden
II and in sewing, cooking and the cult
II walton of small vegetables at home.