The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-11-26
SCHOOL SYSTEM
F0RG|hC AHEAD
Great Educational Awakening
Throughout State Marks
New Era Of Progress
CONFERENCE SHOWS
EXTENT OF MOVEMENT
More Concerted Efforts Be-
ing Directed Toward Bet
ter Methods--Students
Health Is Receiving
Special Attention

Special Attention
Educational awakening in Virginia
liz rapidly assuming definite and sub
stantial form. II reports and addfeases
made at the annual Virginia Confer
ence just brought 20 = close are any
sign.
From every quarter came reports OF
progress, and to all appearance there
In practically no section OF the state
which IL not thoroughly alive to ths
Importance and value Of education.
Reports from country distrtcts were
The day Of tho one~f0Om rural school
house of the cabin type y past and In
It's place II to be found the consoh
dated graded school At some central
point where the pupil can obtain in
struct1On equal In many instances 10
that Afforded by the best class OF
graded schools IN cities and townA
The question OF Transporting chill
dren to and from these schools has
brought about better system of
roads in many districts and will doubt
less continue to Aid in this very i'm
pcrtAnt movement. Frequently the
, consolidated school Is fye miles or
more from the home OF pupil and In
such casee II In necessary that some
means of transportation be provided.
In this connection II might be stated
that Superintendent EggIeston Of the
state Educational Board II In favor OF
the State furnishing transportation to
the pupils an far ~ II Is practicable
to do so. He NJ declared himself In
his annual address and none doubt
but that ne will use his every en-
deaeor to bring about the ends de-
sired.
Values Increased.
Values of school property in Viz
EiniA have increased amazingly since
the new educationRlism began to take
hold In some instances the Increase
has been almost incredible. In the
cities. towns and rural districts new
buildings have gone up on every hand
and the end In not yet. In the city of
! Norfolk. fourteen years ago. the value
OF public school buildings and prop
erty was approximately $4,000. To-
day IL Is placed IN the neighborhood
of 100000. Other Instances equally
as notable might be cited
In the same city fourteen years ago
the sum Of $4,000 WAS appropriated
toward the public schools. To- day the
annual city appropriation borders
closely on $4,000.
Through the efforts OF the Virginia
Library Association much has been
done toward the establishment OF IL
braries ard dissemination of whole
| some literature IN every part of the
/ State. Comparatively few free pub
| lie Libraries have been established. ii
! IL true. but the movement has gained
| n strong fopthoid and the way looks
clearer than ever before. Progress
In the promotion OF the travelling libra
ries has been especially marked within
4 the past few years
! Help Libraries.
! To further aid the library movement
! in Virginia, the Legislature at its next
session win probably he asked 10 en-
large the powers OF the state Library
| Board and to create organizers, who
Will visit communities, confer with
/ trustees OF local libraries go over plans
for buildings, and as far az possible
make sentiment for the growth OF the
! system.
| Speakers during the conference as
4 cribed this broadening interest In IL
braries TO a more democratic form Of
! education which II In operation to-
! day.
Another strong impetus behind
! school work in Virginia Ia the Cooper
| alive Education Association, whose
I purpose ID to bring about greater unfit
4 cation of effort and cooperation. The
association pays special attention to
the announcement of beauty in school
architecture. the cleaning up Of school
| grounds. and the development OF the
love of the beautiful III the children
/ lnd"r the direction III the Aasocia.
ton citixens' leagues have been formed
| In various parts Of the State In the In
terest OF schools. In this line OF work
Caroline proved to be the banner coun-
| ~ having twenty-five local leagues,
which raised nearly $1,000 during the
year.
Less Higher Culture.
| Notable among the results or the
new education Is the fact that more at
| tentfon In being paid these days to
grammar and high school education
ana less to higher culture in colleges
and universities. A. one Of the confer
| ence speakers said tho day has come
| when every year Of Students school
ing must be of such a character AZ to
stand tor itself and to be AZ depen-
! cent on succeeding years IN little ~
/ possible.
Manual training and kinderxarteu
work are now essential features VI the
Virginia educational system, advances
In THESE special lines having been ex-
ceptionaliy marked.
BY no means the least important
cational methods and system has been
the increased alienation to health and
hysienic conditions.
Page Talks Health.
DR.. Waiter n. Page. eater OF The
Worlds Work. In hts very interesting
paper read 1T the closing session q
the conference, declared that progress
In schools N well - In other Inca
comes through the health Of the hu.
man animal. ana then he went On %
ray:
I'm the frst place. the school must
aee that the boy h phyDicaliy wsll.
Are hts eyes good7 II they are not
the school must zee to II that they are
made right. His exrn? Most of 10
are somewhat DEAF. and yet most Gases
Of deafness were II some stage OF our
lives eagllY preventable. And his
teeth and hts ncssi II ~ ~ hasnto