The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-12-27

III speak from the rural standpoint,
especially. She may not know how
to- teach the vocational branches as
yet, but she has learned the great
art of doing her work well, of finish
Ing the job in hand in a careful and
workmanlike manner. There Is n GER
tain fantastic, evanescent type of
teacher who Is progressive" and moth
ing more. 1t is type that we" would
do we'll to avoid. | sometimes Won
der, In fact, IL we are not overwork-
Ing the words progressive" and up
lift" II. then. we consider the OPP
portunities now offered in the sum-
mer school and other continuation
courses for teachers themselves. and
pin our faith to the project OF meet
ing the rural situation By converting.
IL need be. and by developing the
J open-minded teacher OF the higher
type. we cannot fail. And this po-
sition is made still stronger if We
strike for a reasonable amount of ex-
pert supervision. Early success seems
much more likely in this way than to
wait for all of the present teachers
to die or get married. and expect the
normal schools to provide perfect
products Of the teachers shop To take
their places.
The Virginia Situation.
These general remarks have seemed
necessary to paint the background OF
our Virginia situation. II we can give
YOU a picture of the Virginia situation
as il really is, YOU can then see what
legislation, IL any. Is needed. Every
competent Judge refuses to pass upon
moot questions He applies the law to
facts and the salient facts in the Nir
ginia situation today are:
/. Her educational leaders believe in
the value and urgent need Of industrial
education.
2. Our people believe in holding fast
to everything good in the old educa-
ton and in adding thereto such courses
as the best modern thought can fully
approve, and we do not wish to be
the last by whom the new Is tried
3. We are trying to develop state
system of schools that will make one
feel as confident of finding the pro-
gram agreed on for the State carried
out In the weak ana remote country
school as he is cenfidetts IF finding,
the program agreed nponf for a city
carried out in the average or @
street" city school. In other words,
we do not want few show schools
with every other spot neglected.
\ The Richmond Survey has shown
what industrial and voca tional work
p ''sN&NFt'
lin the way of manual training, domFs-
tic science, shop work, commercial
courses. pre-vocational training and
continuation courses Speaking for
Virginia at large, / wish to say that
of our twenty cities eleven give courses
in manual training and domestic
science and five In commercial train
ing: two have continuation and trade
classes in evening schools two have
courses that make journey men or near
ljourneymen. and one-Richmond--ha
a pre-vocational school. Among the
100 counties we find thirty with
manual training and domestic science
classes, fifty-nine teaching agricul-
ture thirty-six with corn clubs. and
nearly or quite forty with canning
clubs.
Among the coIored people in forty
counties. the boys and girls-if | may
employ the quaint grouping OF words
found in the report. OF the negro super
yisors-are taught canning, cooking,
sewing, cutting. fitting, basketry, mat
making, white washing. veneering and
table manners
The National Society for the Promo
ton of Industrial Education has de