The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-11-25

tween ten and twenty years OF age.
The percentage has bcrn reduced from
22.2 per cent to 81 per cent. and the
leaders Of that county announce with
ont hesitation that they propose to
eliminate both juvenile and adult H.
htcracy before the United states Gen.
sus OF 1920 is taken"
The State superintendent also be-
slowed generous praises on the sup
erintendents of Lee, Wise. Russell and
Taewell counties for the splendid work
they have accomplished in reducing
iliiteracy In their respective sections,
where all the races that come to
America, and all the degrees of wealth
and poverty. arc encountered.
Internal Development of Schools.
Particularly pecialiy
to those vested with the authority OF
educational Ieadership--were the con-
Guiding paragraphs of the State sup
erintendent's address, which had ref
erence to the internal development
of Firginia's schools and TO new ef-
forts along progressive lines.
within the past two months" said
Mr.. Stearnes. the Department of Pub
lie Instruction has issued elementary
and high school courses of study,
which are part of the general plan
to make every school in the State feel
that 1t Is n member of a great family
of schools and not an isolated, neglect
ed waif. Four score or a hundred Of
our leading teachers and supervising
officers have colaborated in prepar-
ing these courses of study, and in their
completed form they Will point the
way to successful school teaching by
offering outlines and stimulating sug
gestions for every subject that finds
a place in the modern school Curl
enlum."
After mentioning several of the
counties and cities which had been
foremost in introducing courses in
manual training. domestic science,
commerce and music, Mr. Stearnes
added:
81. will be the province of the new
course OF study to make every other
county, city. district and school which
needs these subjects feel that the
places which + have mentioned are
doing things which are perfectly prac-
ticabie and sensible And why may
not you do likewlse?' will be the con-
stans appeal of the courses of study"
Sitting Wheat from Chaff.
Apropos of progress and the intro
duction of new ideas in school curl
cula. Mr.. Stearnes very sanely said:
THE old education emphasized
thoroughness at the expense of pro-
gresSiyeness. and the new education
frequently embassies progressiyeness
at the expense of thorouehness MAY
we not now hope for day when the
enlightened Judgment Of teachers and
parents will sift the wheat. from the
chaff and show us varied and Won
derfui achievements OF the most SUBJ
ess1 tai .sts s.,.fcr ,Lr
not ray because this or that com
muntty has done thus, and so we must
10 likewise but they shall say as
this community by cooperation and
intelligent leadership has evolved
successful plan out Of It's civic and
social consciousness so we consider
Our environment and fit the training
of our children tn the lives they are
- lead Then we shall see real vo-
catioDai training widely accepted and
real cultural training pursued alike
by old and young
The speaker gave a pleasing ac-
count of the plan TO standardize the
one and two-room rural schools, nor
did he fail to commend the wide
awake spirit of the city schools. He
also had n good deal TO say q bout the
Increased efficiency OF Nirginias
eaching forces, and entered an earn
est plea for better salaries for those
who train the young.
Not Overlooking Practical Things
Concerning the study of Agriculture
and other subjects which fit one for
the practical duties Of life, Mr.
Steafnes said:
The new courses Of study have
finally crowned our efforts to make
the teaching of certain practical sub
jects really effective. Cooking. sew
ing and simple manual training will
be fostsred, encouraged. and even In
sisted upon in our rural schools The
School Fair promotes this kind OF
work. for there the pupils and patrons
may see the actual results of the
years labor. Our normals and sum-
mer schools are training a large num-
her Of teachers 10 do this work, and
the industrial supervisor is winning
his way steadily and surely.
Speaking generally of the sub
}ect OF agriculture continued Mr.
Stearnes. II would say that we arc
tnttulgtnH the Hyliest hopes on that
score. for VIC have practically con-
ciuded arrangements with the Ma
tional Department of Agriculture and
President j. ID. Fggleston. of the Nir-
ginin Polytechnic Institute, to pro-
vide series of lessons ard studies
exactly suited to our conditions. These
lessons and studies will be carefully
correlated with the other studies of
our curriculum. Inasmuch as the
demonstration work among the boys
and girls is also managed by the Ma
tional Department Of Agriculture and
the Virginia Polytechnic, this appears
to me to be the long pun and strong
pull. and pull all together in behalf
of agriculture
Liberty Bell at Albany.
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