Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-25
Notable Progress Made in
Enrolment, Equipment
and Efficiency.
CLAYTON sFAVORs NATIONAL
COMPULSORY SCHOOL LAW
United States Commissioner of
Education Speaks to Virginia
Education Conference.
BIG GATHERING OF TEACHERS
Educators to Meet in Many Group.
To-Day to Discuss
Methods.

To-day 10 DISCUSS
Methods.
III, his advocacy of u national com
pulsory school law. longer school
terms aud IL permanency of position
for tho teacher. p. p. Clnxton, United
states Commissioner OF Education.
made a powerful Impression last night
on the gathering of teachers and ed,I-
Gators for~tiie- ninth annual convention
ot the Virginia Education Conference.
lhe session. which was held In tile
'tup!toFluin OF the John Marshall High
school. was presided over by " r.
element. OF Chatham. who In a short
introductory speech. praised the work
OF The division. superin,endcnts, under
"hcsc auspices the first open session
wac held nnd called attention to the
ra're OF their work to the community
ahn nation. Mayor George Ainslic
made u fclicitous uddress of welcome.
aud Snperintepdent of. Public Instruc-
Lon TX. e. SteJrnes delivered his an
iiual report on ."Thc Years Progrcss.''
GoNernor stuart, who had been schcJ-
h'ed TO speak. was unable TO he pres-
ent nnd eeut his regrets. Nearly 1000
people wcrc p:eLont ut the meeting.
MAYOR FANeRs
VOCATIONAL TRAINING
In his welcoming address Mayor
trained citizenship was the most I'M
p"rtint thing n community could have.
and that this WAS the work OF the
,eaeiter t"It is appalling to think"
no sitd. that SO few children out of
every thousand who attend school
eyer, reach the high school. and OF
how few of those who do reach the
nigh school remain long enough To
graduate. lsot this reason I hope the
recent school survey conducted iii this
. 80 St,it In, fnt, tt,tr
school syHtem vocational instructiun
aud guidance. 5I - as Is
Dr.sCIa%t %ton was introduced by su-
perintendent cf Schools L.. c. Glass.
oG LynchburG, Tho paid a high tribute
10 tic Federal Commissioner Of Edu-
cation and said TINT Introduction was
necessary only 10 give the speaker
time in which to collect hts thoughts
snh to survey his audience.
SAYS VIRGINIA Us CAPABLE;
OF MEETING SITUATION
In his review Of tho year's work.
superintendent StcaiIcs had said that
ct least :au0.ooo more MAE needed to
carry ON The work I'm the State, and
that ,c d!d not kuow how the money
could be obtained. I,r. claNton said
tha; Virginia was fully capable Of
raising tic money. by reason OF her
,iaiural resources, by reason OF tho
notive ability Of the people themselves
and by their acquired ability. These
three factors. he said, when multiplied
together. VIII result in material
wealth, civic bettcrmcut and political
power and glory. The third factor he
described as in Increasing quantity,
which would grow as tho people Srow
and contin0aHy result III greater civic,
moral and edncatlonal' wealth. which
is transiatablc into the material
wealth OF dollars and cents
Discussing the need for cducat tion OF
all tho children. ur. ClaNton said that
'.if any child is unable to get an or-
portunit% equal to that Of any other
loss. The state Will approach perfec-
lion as you approach the fulillment
cf that Idea.
DEMOCRACY HEaUIREs
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
.'All children should go to school.
Democracy must have a compulsory
sc;,ool law That is the only way In
which democracy can avoid high trea-
son agains: itself. The school term
should be longer and % nearly, the
same length ~ various parts of the
Stute. 'tnotnc; tninG that should hc
done Is IN Improvement of the teachers.
i large majority OF teachers in the
Southern states have had 10 profes-
sloual training. You don't allow hoy
under twenty-opc years to practice law
or TO sign Il contract or to do other
things which 4 man may do. but In
the vitally important matter of cduca-
3 ton II Is permitted boys and girls In
thoir teens to teach school. There
should be n Law that only those who
have reached the years of maturity,
and haro had normal school train
ing. should he allowed to teach"
Dr ClaNton was not inclined favor
ably 10 consolidation and transporta
ton except I'm a few instances. and
advocated that school should he
erected within every twelve square
mi los ,1f IL
easily accessible to all within that area.
He urged, further, that the teacher bc
supplied with n permanent home near
the school. and be maintained TN one
community for life or upon terms or
good behavior.
DI. Clayton diseuEsed the complexi-
tics OF modern life, Which make school
training an absolute essential for
citizenship. and declared, In effect, that
ii was social suicide to withhold educn-
tion from the least among the chill
drci. The whole fabric of society
rests. he said. upon the people, and il
the people are to achieve the ideal In
sclf-government they must have every
advantage which education can offer.
Ills address was impassioned Mt times,
and 1t was received with u close and
marked attention.
sTEARNEs REVIEWS
5 PROGRESS OF YEARS
Superintendent Stearnesc who had for
his subject The Years Progress"
spoke IN most Inspiring and enthu-
= siastic terms concerning the astonish-
ing Increase In school enrolment and
average daily attendance. He began
with an apology for having to cite
figures. but then added these words:
when State Gun show greater In
creas Sc In school enrolment during the
decade OF It's recent history all good
k.citlzens Will wish to learn the facts.