The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-03-31

In this Aectlou Ok Lhe hkaNe GHsAS 20
VASTLY more ilIteracy than the aver
age person Is aware OF. This is true
caused by the many foreigners, work
ling in the coal mines and factories,
who have come here for various rea-
sons, f:om countries where the public
school does not flourish as 1t does In
America. In fact public education Is
mot compulsory to the age OF fifteen
i as IL is in this state. Among the older
generation may be vet found some IL
~ifterates in West Virginia. These peo-
pie lived at a time In this state when
public schools were not well estab-
lished or did not exist at all. We can
hear our grandfathers and even our
fathers say that they walked three
and Tour miles to school and had OPP
p~ortunfty to attend school four months
in the year. II Is reasonable to be-
lieye that this hardship was too much
for the person who was too lazy to
walk that far only to work at dry less
ons to a dry teacher.
I might then point out that the total
ii1iteracy, or nearly SO in this section
Is among the old people OF the coun-
ty, and among the foreigners of this
country who have immigrated here,
who are too old to attend public school.
lOf course there are in all communi-
ties some who are mentally detective,
and these are of course illiterate. as
a rule. There are some colored.
Therefore l will say that the most
urgent need OF the night school. ts
the effort we should make to stamp
out l1literacy. The people who cannot
read and write. who are not within
1.-The compulsory attendance laws OF
this state. must necessarily work for
a living and SO are busy all the day.
Might time Is the only opportunity
such people would have to be organ
lied into classes, for study and In
%struction by a teacher.
A campaign is on in III sister state
of Kentucky to eliminate illiteracy
completely from the state by means
OF the moonlight school," This is a
school conducted by the regular teach
ers at their school houses for the pur-
pose Of teaching persons beyond the
school age to read and write. Schools
LOT this sort have already been con
Quoted in places in West Virginia by
q few OF our teachers, for foreigners
who desire to learn to read and write
the English language. Here Is a n
opportunity for service. The figures
that may be had from the u. S. Gem
sus report shows that the rate OF IL
literacy.. for the persons ten years OF
age and over, for the whole state OF
west Virginia is 5.3 per cent. THIS
report also shows that the rate OF IL
iliteracy in this state for persons pc
tween the ages of ten and twenty Is
al per cent. In other words, eight
people out Of every hundred, who are
above ten years Of age cannot read OF
write. Here is another TACT h 10
hard for a school teacher to compre-
bend; four persons out OF every nun
dred who are within school age, can
not read or write.
why have not these people learned
to read and write?
Have these people ever been to
school? If not, why has not the
school reached them? Have the
Ischools done their full duty TO. these
people? Do you have any persons in
your school community, between ten
and twenty who cannot read and
write?
/ will be more definite for Marion
county for that Is where most of my
interest lies IN this work.
Marion county has q population Of
white 41,ss5, Black s51, other ace
Native white, 1892; native parent.
Native white, foreign or mixed pa
rentage, 2,9o8.
Foreign born white, 4,6s5.
Nattonalittes represented, Austria.
Belgium, Canada, Denmark. England,
France, Germany, Ireland, Greece.
Hungary, Italy, Roumania, Russia
Scotland, Spain, Sweden. Switzerland,
Turkey in Asia, Turkey in Europe,
Wales.
Illiterate males Of voting age, 1857
or 1914 per cent.
rliterate, 10 to 90 years inclusive,
1893 or 80 per cent.
Il Will be seen that over six per
cent of the tfliteracy in this county Is
among the foreigners who are over
twenty years 8ot age. Here is where
the night school can do o good work
in this county. These people live in
communities whore there are. school
facilities. The school plant could be
used at night by the teacher and the
preacher to y good advantage for the
stamping out OF illiteracy in Marion
county. "A number OF subjects need
and couldsnot hsltaught. II these PEG.
PIE were taught to read and write they
would be given asbetter chance in
America and would likely be more
eager for their children to be educated
according TO the American standard.
Many Of the very best students In
this 5countyEate 1sforeigners coming
fromttheSb better class Of the immigrant.