The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-11-24
board 7" Mr.. Seay was asked.
II should say not" he replied. Mr.
Seay made no further comment.
ASK COMPULSORY


President e. II. Johnson, of tho School
Trustees Association. Or. Flory. of
Bridgewater College. Professor C. NJ
! Farmer. Virginia Christian College;
! Thomas A. Diggs. secretary State Sun
day School Association. Superintendent
II. A. Hunt of Portsmouth. and A. L.
Lincoln. State school Inspector.
Platform Committees Report.
The larger part of the all-day ses-
sion was taken up with the considera-
ton Of the report OF the platform
committee. Many Of the recommend
atoms were debated and approved and
a number continued for further con-
sideration at the adjourned session
this morning.
The recommendation of the com
mittee as TO compulsory education
provoked considerable discussion, but
was finally adopted without change.
The recommendation of the commit
tee, considered yesterday, follow:
Compulsory Education.
I'VE approve our present law of
local option compulsion school at
tendance and recommend It's adoption
by school divisions through elections.
At the same time we regard II merely
as an exped!enCv.
by this law any school division Of
the State may submit the question Of
compulsory education to the qualified
voters az such a district II they ey-
press themselves In favor of said law
by the ballot. then every parent,
guardian or person having charge or
control of any child between the ages
of eight and twelve years shall be
required 10 send such II child to
public school Of this Commonwealth
for at least twelve weeks in each
school year provided the child cannot
read Or write,
THE Constitution of Virginia. upon
which the above law was based reads
as follows: The General Assembly
may, in its discretion provide for the
education of children he
tween the ages of EIGHT and twelve
years, EXCEPT such as are weak in
body or mind or can read or write,
or are attending private schools or
excused for cause by the district
school trustees
The Virginia state Teachers' As
ISOLATION urges a General Assembly 10
change our present local option 'ew to
a Statewide statute. certainly as broad
in its application as the Constitution
permits. If this he impossible then
the present law shnld he amended So
as TO force attendance Of "a ldr'en
between the ages Of eight and twelve
the entire school session
'+The constitutional limitation in ex-
cusing pupils from compulsory al
tendance with ability 10 read and
write is Il limitation enly In appear
ance, as the phrase admits of wide
and application.
Teachers Retirement Fund
THE General Assembly of Virginia
established in 1908 the retired teach
ers fund, thereby placing Virginia In
the list Of those few progressive
States which made provisions for
aged and disabled teachers
According to the provisions If this
law the teachers Of the state have no
voice in the management Of the re-
tirement fund, nor In deciding upon
what teachers are eligible for retire
ment. They are compelled without
option TO contribute ] per cent If
their yearly salary. which amount in
the year 1914 exceeded $4,000. The
State gives the found an annual APP
preparation Of $4,000.
The Virginia Teachers Associa tion
has constantly put itself on record as
favoring the principle of the present
retiring law, hut it has likewise ma n
tanned that In removing from the
schooi-room those teachers who are
too inf1rm to render efficient service,
an equal benefit acCrues to the Corn
monwealth as to the teachers them
selves Consequently the association
has reiterated It's belief that the state
should bear equally with the teach
ers the burden Of maintaining the
retiring fund.
In the year 1908 there We're fly
Eve teachers in the retired list and
the number has now grown to 400 T.