The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-01-11

per cent. The lowest per cent oil lllit'
evacy is found in Iowa, where 1t is IL
per cent, and the highest in Louisiana,
where it is 20 pey cent. West Vlr-
glria's rank in point CT illiteracy is 81.
The above facts concerning ednca-
lion in this State are very concrete
and smust convince every one who
knows them that there is a great edit
cational work to be done in this State
in order to make the educational work
an average CT the American schools.
stated above that West Virginia
must increase its school year, a@d TO
the equipment OF the schools and in
crease the quality of the teaching
Each one of these items will call for
additional money, but additional mon
ey is necessary for desirable results,
In the long run, in education as well
as in business, you get just about
what you pay for. If the average
teacher in West Virginia receives $323
and in Massachusetts $Td7, the proba'
biHties are that the Massachusetts, poo
pie are getting $757 worth OF result,
while Yves, Virginia is getting S32S
worth of result. This is sound busi-
ness principle, and has direct oppltca-
ton here.
Having had opportunities for obser-
walton AMI comparison, it did not take
me leng after reaching the State to
discover that there was very i'm
porlant work to do here. This was
encouraging to me, for am just hui
man enough to enjoy engaging IN
something which promises growth
and expansion as result Of effort |
soon learned, However, that some OF
the elements which make progress
possible were not Immediately avalIa
bic, and so the eXubernCe resulting
from my first conclusion have been
softened into "the hope that is de
ferred.' 1t soon became evident that
many people in this State were think
ing Of schools in terms Of these they
had attended or had known, instead
of thinking of them in terms Of the
present life and civilization. The PEG
pie were and are positive in their con-
victions on this point, and so were
willing TO accept work that met condt-
lions forty or fifty years ago. The
great need of teachers in the State,
with this general estimate
of schools by the people, made 1t pos
sible for persons to secure positions
as teachers who did not represent in
their educational attainments more
than it is represented by the seventh
and eighth grade boys and girls OF
your city. There are very many teach
ers in this State who have only the
preparation given in the rural schools
am. thoroughly convinced that the
greatest need Of West Virginia when
the social, business and political needs
are taken into consideration, is better
prepared and better trained teachers
for the common schools. The State
Normal Schools have net been able to
enough teachers to supply the
needs of the schools, and the salaries
have been such that positions could
lot be filled with teachers from other
States. These two reasons explain
Why the need for good teachers Is so
urgent. Tho first step in meeting this
need is to establish standard Of
teaching and Of teachers. This can
be done by making the work in the
Normal schools similar in character to
hat done in the average Normal
School m other States where educa.
ionaI lcoaaitls1 are hette than4l here,
ind where thefs tlias been more time
~ tiI i nhpnei d loprieiii &c an
gsh50t witch lias