Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-11-24
AN EARNEST APPEAL

AN EARNEST APPEAL
Virginia Teachers Will lndorsc Mini
mum Salary Law and Longer
School Terms in State.
Richmond, Nov. 24-The question
Of the community school for the ru-
raj districts Of Virgini;l-the school
trat will, be at once the social, edu-
rational and industrial center of tn"
community in which it is situated
is likely 10 come for large share Of
the attention of the Virginia Educa-
t;onal Conference, which met here
today in tenth annual session. Al
ready the question has been discuss
ed at some length by the board Of
directors of the conference, which held
. session yesterday afternoon at
Mu-phy's Hotel, and by number OF
district superintendents, school trus-
tees. officers Of the Cooperative
Educational. Association, and their
invited guests. who met the board
Of directors at an informal luncheon
lust before the committee regular
session.
A. P. Bourland. of Washington, sec
rotary of the Southern Educational
was the principal speak
or at the luncheon. and delivered q
forceful address on the many advan-
tages that would, of necessit, accrue
to the rural district with the com.
munity school. Mr.. Rourland drew his
lessons from the system which IS IN
vogue in Germany, where all farm
life and community activity is CEN
tered around the village school. which
even serves as banking institution
to It's rural patrons,
Throughout large portion OF Nir-
giria. especially in the undeVeI"pcd
mountain sections, the one-room
school-house. relic Of a less progreS-
sivc time. is still the one fountan."'
knowledge. Mr.. Bourland, in COM
mon with a great majority of pre-
educators. would have these
..iittlc red school-houScs on the hill.
whenever practicable, give way to a
modern!v constructed four room
place suitable to serve H.
the meeting house of the entire COM
munity. come together in social inter
course Of to discuss problems rela-
tive to it's industrial life.
AS an addition to the school prop
crt, Mr.. Bourlanh would have the
State purchase tract of land o.
from five to fifty acres. which would
serve the triple purpose Of home Tor
the principal. Il school demonstration
farm and u community experiment
station. A banking fcature-a sys-
TEN by which the school would re-
caivc savings deposits and transfer
them to the custody Of Il loca! bank
you'd. he thinks. materially cncou-
;acc Il spirit Of thrift both among
tie pupils and the community at large.
Recommendation in the annual re-
po:t OF the board of Directors of the
Virginia Educational Conference.
adopted yesterday in executive session
will constitute the keynote of the con-
vention's deliberations, and are OF
more than passing interest to the
publcat large. This report iwil be
submitted to the educators toward
the latter part of the week, and, un.
less custom is broken, will be adopt
ed in its entierty.
The board puts itself on record a:
favoring the present method of loca
option in the matter of compulsor.
education, suggesting. however. tha
the law be so changed or amended Il.
10 compel the attendance at schoo
of children between the ages of eigh
and twelve years for the entire schoo
session. instead of ''at least twelv'
weeks" as the statute now provides
! Any school division in the State. un
der the Virginia statute, may at an
time adopt by election OF the quailti
ed voters the compulsory educatio,
provision.
| The board also favors an mcreas
. of the State school tax on real eS
tate and tangible personal propert
from 10 cents on the 500 to 20 cents
the proceeds TO be apportioned a
1.-The basis Of school population. AM