The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-28
CONSOLIDATION
OF THE SCHOOLS.
AS Well as the Virginia Method
of Transporting Children
to School.
CONTINUED from last sunday,

CONTINUED from last Sunday
The DEBATING club and the library
are easy OF organization IN the large
school: they are difficult in the small
one. The progress OF the pupils In
their studies is rarely less than twice
az rapid as in one-room school. The
enrolment Is almost Invariably larger
and the attendance almost Invariably
better where the small schools have
been merged into large one. AS Mr..
Thomas puts 1t. Consolidation has al
way OF .hnding' children that were
never heard OF before. SO far as schools
are concerned" Children ara gregar-
ious-even more 80 than adults-and u
sometimes think that we fall to realize
the depressing and devitalizing effects
OF tho constant isolation OF the small
school and small neighborhood.
It Is much easier to secure a good
teacher to nll a vacancy in large
school than in small one. She has
more association with other teachers:
her work Is far less trying and wear
ing; she has the satisfaction OF seeing
the children make better progress: and
she stands better chance OF specia-
'lizing-something that every teacher
wishes TO do. This attitude OF the
teacher towards the smalA Isolated
school is no inconsiderable factor In
H.
let US hope. forever-when the eco
nomic conditions in Virginia are such
that the community can dictate the
wage and the school and always find
worthy applicants. A new condition has
arisen, and to-day the competent
teacher can, in an increasing number Of
counties and cities. dictate that the
WACO and the schoolhouse shall be
good.
There are ten objections to consol-
idatng schools and transporting chill
dren Eight OF these objections are
imaginary; the other two are real
These two are bad roads and sparsity
Of school population. and they are ap-
plicable In only r. comparatively few
communities in the State. Inere are
one hundred counties in Virginia; in
at Leash eighty-hve OF these there
are communities where one-room and
two-room schools can be merged into
larger schools and the children be
transported, to the great advantage
OF the children. There are 500 school,
these the same thing may be said. AT
least 1000 wagons could be used, max
ing 1t easier fo- the children to get to
school: getting them to much better
schools; increasing the enrolment;
improving the daily attendance; and
costing less money per capita Of chill
dren in attendance.
Most OF the Virginia roads are bad
very bad-in winter But 1t takes
even worse roads than the average to
prevent transportation Of children.
Good roads and good schools should
go together; but since neither exists
in many OF our communities, 1t is the
purpose Of the advocates Of good
schools to go right ahead. hoping that
good roads will follow Moreover,
there are to-day Inadequate unsatis-
factory one and two-room schools near
to each other on some OF the best
roads in our State These could easily
be consolidated into large. well-wraded
schools. Some OF them are being con-
solidated. Others will DO lust as fast as
we can educate the people to see the
Advantages,
Do not. therefore. be deceived or
m1sled by the frequently uttered state
ment that we cannot have consolida-
tion Of schools and transportation of
8ohildran until we have better roads.
You can hear this all over Virginia,
II Is true that good roads make IT
easier to INSTRUMENTATION and trans
portation. provided the people are In
5telligently interested IN their schools
bue experience and observation show
& ~. (ContinueT on Fifth Page,)