Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-25

| lacks only 3,0S1 of equaling tho net
Increase during the fifteen years that
preceded tho session 1928. and .is
greater than the Increase OF any recent
| fen-year period. Tho 1884 increase
/ alone was 14,1S4.
EVEN GREATER INCREASE
In CURRENT YEAR
Such IL the record OF tho two years
which have just passed, but the diyi-
SION superintendents have just been
asked TO estimate tho probable In
crease for tho current year on tho
nas.s OF present enrolment. Their
separate estimates. which should BIO
perfectly reliable. have been added to-
sether. and the grand total equals 49,
ooo. 1t thus appears that our total
lel4-l5 Will probably roach the mag
innocent figure Of 4SO,72l, an increase
Oh 1885, or II per cent, In three years"
MI. Stearnes said that these splendid
increases In enrolment. particularly
those OF the current session. Indicate
.ne slsor or the State-wido campaign
against iiliteracy. He called attention
! 70 the fact that the increase In Carroll
county alone. had been 1000. In Patrick
500: and IN Grayson. 800.
Next the speaker touched on the
hotaplo increase In average daily at
tendance. He repeated that the In
crease In enrolment during tho two
year period mentioned was S2S9e. whiIo
| inc increase In daily average attend
ance during the same period was al
oo9. The former increase was per
cent the latter, IL per cent.
woItk OF TEACHERS
IS HIGHLY PRAISED
at this point the teachers came In
TOT liberal share Of praise ut tho
hands of the State superintendent. In
This connection he added that the SER
vices rendered by the teachers were
eV,aentiy appreciated. not only by him.
SER, but by the people at large. AS
a PROOF OF this. he cited the fact that
during the l9i3-14 session teachers
salaries had been increased se5ToaSo1
WINE the increase during the two-year
| period was S53I.3S0.9S. He expressed
the hope that the session i914-i5 would
NOT only double the yearly increase
IN enrolment and average attendance,
but would likewise double the annual
increase In teachers salaries.
mr.. Stearnes touched on compulsory
eaucation and the growing belief that
~ Is an absolute necessity. After mem
ioning the fact that the counties OF
Ale ghany, Henrico Rockingham, Shcn-
andoah and Wise. ard the cities OF
Clifton Forge, Lynchburg, Petersburg
ana Richmond. have voted for com
puisory education by overwhelming
majorities, he mentioned that the
teachers Association OF Grayyon
! COUNTY had gone so far az to cali for
| a Statewide law, with the present
f, local option feature eliminated.
H. 1t really seems" said the speaker,
ms If we are all coming to the point
where we are ready to soy with the
colored teacher who wrote me last
week that she was In the field lighting
against illiteracy, superstition. tubercu-
losis and other prevalent diseases
MANY NEW SCHOOLS
| ERECTED LAST YEAR
During the year which closed in
June, virginia built 1856 new school
houses. at cost OF sS65,273.84 These
buildings provided $50 new rooms, but
| not enough, 1t Is apparent for the $50
additional teachers who were employed
twenty new high schools were estab-
lished under that name during 1914
making the total number 5l4. The
enrolment In the high schools was
~ $40, an increase Of 1890"
MI Stearncs briefly suggested four
next steps," which Included all the
plans of the division superintendents
Touching on the great Improvement OF
school league work. he said: ITS un-
DERIVING thought Is the conviction that
the schools are. for the people. and not
the people for the schools. Means
must be provided (a) to make the we'll
established wishes OF the patrons ef-
-fectivc; fh) to make their contributions
|
and co-operative; (c) to make the
school centre of community life
| Concerning the teachers. he said:
"U) The faithful teacher who ia inca
pacHated should be pensioncd: (2) the
| teacher who has borne tho heat and
burden of the day for twenty or
twenty-five years should find ready ut
hand elixir OF youth In kindly
sympathy. financial support and pro-
fessional zeal; (3) the credentials OF
teachers entering the profession should
| be scanned closely"
MORE ELASTIC COURSE
| OF STUDY REQUIRED
| The speaker also said 1t Is very clear
| that broader and more elastic course
iof study is an immediate and urgent
\ need. In other words. there should be
| n difference between the curricula for
! city schools and for country schools.
In discussing the financial problem
of the schools. he said: Finally. how
| shall we finance the program which
has been presented? At present the
| per capita amount which Virginia
spends for education Is very small, yet
| even at our Igures It will cost US
| 100000 annually to educate just the
! number of children whose names have
| been added to our enrolment aimee
| 191l-12. Our increase In revenue dur
| ing that time has not exceeded $1,000 600.
There arc whole counties In Virginia
which have not yet dreamed OF the
| possibility OF adopting the Tazewen
plan OF not employing low-grade
in the State which does not wish to
adopt that plan. Where shall we turn
| for these larger demands?"
|