Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-14
WOULD COMPEL PARENTS
TO EDUCATE CHILDREN
Superintendent OF State School fol
COlored Deaf and Blind
Submits Report.
SHOWS NEED FOR NEW STATUTE
Misguided Parents Are Allowing
Deaf and Dumb Children, Who
Should BE In State School, to Grow
Up i'm Ignorance.

In his annual report at the meeting
OF the board of visitors OF the State
School for the Colored Deaf and Blind,
at Newport News. William c. Ritter,
superintendent. urged compulsory edu-
cation for all deaf and blind children
IN Virginia. The meeting of the board
was held at Murphy's Hotel and was
attended by Harry r. Houston. of
Hampton. member Of the House Of
Delegates, chairman; Major a c.
Walker. Walkerton. Professor Gull
ford u. Eurit,. Of stanton; Samuel
Steiner. Richmond, and Edward l.
Ford. superintendent of Chesapeake
and Ohio terminals 1T Newport News
DIR. Clarence Porter Jones, of Newport
News. is chairman OF the board
The ANIMAL report OF the superinten-
dent cites that there are about l25 pu-
pills in the schools, while the State
school census shows there are between
200 and $50 colored deaf and blind
children who should be in the insti-
tuition. They are kept away, Profess
sor Milford says, by misguided or ie-
norant parents. In Richmond there
are ten or twelve of these unfortu-
mates.
FANoRS COMPULSORY
EDUCATION LAW
The school plant at Newport News
now consists OF seven substantial
brick buildings 1t was established in
1905 and is doing an important work
for the colored children of the State
In his report. the superintendent
says on the subject OF compulsory edu-
cation for the deaf and blind:
~ census of the children of school
age was taken in Virginia last June.
To date with hardly half of the 100
counties heard from, the lists show
between nifty and seventy-fivc chill
dren whom It is supposed should be
here in school. The counties heard
from are those of the eastern sec
ton of the State. in which reside the
great majority of our colored popula
ton. When all OF the counties report.
we shall have probably more than 100
new names of deaf or blind children
who should be In school here.
LAS fast as the division school super
intendents send their respective lists
70 MS. we cndeavor to get into COM
munication with the parent or guar
dian OF each child. Our letters reach
them cat least they are not returned
TO us undelivered), but we can get but
few answers
EXIIAUSTING EVERY EFFORT
TO REACH THESE CHILDREN
we are eXhausting every effort to
reach these people. and to-day have
one of our girl supervisors travelling
in the far southwestern section of the
all the deaf or blind colored children
she can possible persuade the parent
or guardian to allow to come.
"A compulsory education law is ur-
gently needed in Virginia as regards
deaf and blind children. The States
on our borders have such laws. and
they work we'll. y parent or guardian
has no legal or moral right to rob Il
child of its education, especially not
a deaf or blind child. Until the Gen
eral Assembly comes to the relief of
these innocent sufferers by passing the
necessary laws, we shall always have
many uneducated and unframed deaf
or blind dependents wandering along
the highways and byways OF our Com
monwealth-a shame and menace.
If there ever an occasion upon
which our traditional conservatism
should be flung aside to give way to
our better Judgment, this subject Of
compulsory education presents that oc-
casion. We trust that the State Board
of Charities and Corrections Will take
prominent part in having this much
needed law enacted"