The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-04-02
BEGIN WORK TAKING
CENSUS OF SCHOOLS
Names of All Between Ages of Sever
and Twenty Will Be
Taken.
GREAT PROGRESS IN THE STATE
Educational Advancement In Virginia
In the Last Ten Years Has Been Re-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Deere n Y
IlIitcracy.

Throughout Virginia today begins
the work of taking the quinquennial
school census. Names, sex, color, age
and other facts viii be gathered about
all people in the State between the
ages OF seven and twenty.
In Richmond twenty-eight L.en will
take the census, some of them having
started work yesterday, each work
ing at least fifteen hours daily in the
expectation of completing the work
within four weeks time. The object
OF taking the census Is to learn the
number of children OF school age IN
the State. whether in attendance upon
school or not, rs county and city APP
preparations are apportioned accord
ing to population.
The school population OF Virginia
In 1910 was 61s,16s. Of which 445.07s
were enrolled, an increase In ten years
OF Ts,345.
Encouraging Reports.
Superintendent Stearnes expresses
the hope that the increase for 1915
over 1910 will show a still greater
rate Of progress He has received en-
couraging reports from many coun-
ties. the superintendent declaring
that real educational revival has
set in. From Buchanan County. long
one of tho blacklist spots on the IL
literacy map OF the United States,
comes splendid reports. The super
intendent recently wrote Mr.. Stearnes
that he will be much disappointed H.
when the census Is completed this
year. the rate OF iiliteracy be not re-
duced from about s2 per cent to 10
per cent. The school population has
Increased greatly within the last ten
years. he writes. and with II has come
a more than corresponding increase in
attendance and "a great decrease In
iiiiteracy, His teachers are co-operat
ing with him earnestly in an effort 10
end forever Buchanan's unenviapie
notoriety. In ten years about sixty new
school buildings have been erected.
"A decrease in the illiteracy per-
centage from SO to 10 per cent" said
Mr., Stearnes yesterday, will be d
monument to those who accomplish
II"
Educational progress IN Virginia
during the decade Just passed has been
rapid. and while education depart
! ment officials ARE by no means salts
fle. they point with pardonable pride
To these figures:
Increase in enrolment, 7s.345, In
crease IN average daily attendance.
s2,345: increase of State, county and
city appropriations s4025,3s6. in
42T; increase In salaries Of teachers,
s2.oso.53l. number OF new school
houses, 2.+i2: cost of new school
houses aad grounds, ss.1lS,lso; num-
Der OF school houses consolidated, 5T2
new State normal schools, g.
or the new features added are
Sch eol fairs school leagues. civic
leagues, night schools, open air
schools school wagons. industrial
supervisors. manual training. domestic
scienee, girls canning clubs, boys corn
ciuhs, rrotherw' clubs, extension work.
medical inspection, free lunches. In
| dustriai surveys, vocational schools.
school inspectors, school TO- adult IL
/ literates. supervised school athletics.
| public Fairgrounds, literary leagues
! debating societies, teachers reading
/ courses. schoel gardens, normal train :
| ing schools. agricultural schools and
/ classes for backward pupils.
| Spring Examinations.
| The spring examinations for teach
/ ers in tho public schools of tho State
/ will he held on Thursday Friday and
| Saturday April f6-f7
/ Applicants may take part or the cX-
! animation ON this occasion and the