The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-25
PAST ACHIEVEMENTS
Continued from First page.)

of increase In eight per cent. The
number thus added to our enrolment
lacks only 2,0s1 of equaling the net
increase during the fifteen years that
preceded the session 1928 and is
greater than the increase of any re-
cent ten-year period. The Increase
for 191+-l5 is estimated at still
higher figure than for these two record
years. the total being about $4,000.
IL thus appears that our total enroll
ment at the close of the present ses-
sion VIII probably reach the masn.-
ftcent figure of 4S0.T2l, an increase of
10000 or IL per cent In three years"
Nj. Stearnes then went into details
showing the increase In the various
sections of the state and coming to
the matter OF average daily attend
ance said:
IF one may test the efficiency OF
the entire system in a general way
by the enrolment, one may in
similar manner test the value and
worth or the teaching force by the
average daily attendance. The In
crease In the average daily attendance
during the last two years was 81 ,00s.
an increase OF i2 per cent
superintendent Stearries also point
ed out In his speech that the sala ries
or teachers have been increased: that
the movement for compulsory school
attendance has gained ground that
during tho year 156 new school houses
were butt at a cost of $So5,273S4.
providing $50 rooms: that thirteen OF
the twenty cities in the State employ
the services OF special supervisors.
that Lynchburg. Norfolk and Rich
mond nave medical inspection and
corps OF visiting nurses: that OF the
counties AlhemArle, Alexandria. Rich
mond and Westmoreland have medical
inspection: that the movement TO
make the schools social centers is
growing: and that all through thu
State tae popular sentiment is for
better educational facilities and for
more and greater improvements.
superintendent Stearnes did not con.
dne himself to dwelling on past ae-
complishments. however. though leav-
ing the telling Of that liz to be done
mainly to Commissioner Claxton He
also suggested steps yet to be taken.
among them being greater attention
to school league work. making social
csnters of the schools. the education
OF the school patrons to their part In
the work of the system and better
provisions for the welfare OF the
teachers,
Hits From Shoulder.
duced by Superintendent E. c. Glass. OF
the l-ynchburg schools, In a brief talk
in which he paid high tribute to the
speaker to follow and to the contrt-
buttons OF North Carolina. his home.
to the educational life of Virginia
Take from Virginia the men and ideas
North Carolina has given us and we
would be in bad way" said Mr.
Glass.
Dr. Claxton opened with the bold
statement that he intended to suggest
hard things that Virginia should do.
but that there lis no reason why vir-
ginia should net do them. II wish
to speak to you as II you are able to
do what ! suggest" he said You
are able"
His speech was on the relation Of
democracy to education, contending
that the former is impossible without
the latter.
What Virginia alone needs" he said.
SIS the culture and education that
comes only with public education. You
have the material resources and the
natural ability. Neither can be in
creased; but acquired ability by means
of education can be increased. The
product OF natural ability and natural
wealth changes only as asquired ability
changes"
Democracy. said the speaker. means
equality OF opportunity and equality
OF opportunity means equality Of edu-
cation. 80 long as there Ia a single
child, rich or poor. white or black.
without the opportunity for an edu-
cation, Virginia cannot approach the
ideal OF democracy"
DR.. Claxton drew applause. when In
anumeratlng the things Virginia needs
and must have, he declared that "a
democracy must have compulsory
school attendance laws"
Other suggested improvements were