The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-01

4 gwen tHNudA fpnNlNEfalttn Oh the
following facts. An average salary OF
si5 per month with an average en-
rollment Of thirty pupils TO the teach
er and an. average term Of eight
months will make the cost Of teach
ers' salaries Sl2 per pupil enrolled
Teachers wages are about thvee-hfths
OF the entire cost of a school system
n one takes into account new build-
inGs, repairs and all current expenses
II Sl2 is three -fifths, the entire cost
OF course, would be $40. Virginia =
average enrolment In l913-1914 was
thiriy-seven. which was obviously too
great The average length Of session
was seven months. which meant that
We had hundreds OF schools with only
five months and teachers all agree
that SO short "A term is probably the
worst feature in our system. There
fore the figures given above are fully
Justified"
II this estimate Is even approx
mately correct we need as he declares
not only increased local revenues but
larger State appropriations. In order
TO secure the former and enable the
people Of any county or district who
desire to give their children ade-
quate educational facilities and are
willing to pay for them to do 50, the
constitutional limitation should be re-
moved and instead of restricting local
authorities 10 IA flfty-cent tax. they
should be encouraged and even re-
dufred to maintain schools up 10 a
certain prescribed standard. 1t is i'm
peTative that this limitation be re-
moved as speedily as possible. az al
ready many communities are suffer
ing from the restriction.
Education a State Function.
But this will not suffice-the State
must bear It's share Of the burden
Education Is a State function. II an
educated citizen rs more valuable
asset to the State than an ignorant
one as we profess TO believe, then all
the children should enjoy substantial
advantages and the mat
ter cannot I've left TO counties and dis
tricts. The disparity in educational
opportunity would soon become intol-
cradle. The local tax rate Nigh. he
come reasonably uniform. but the
variation in the per capita revenue
would be as great as the difference
between the mountain heights OF the
Southwest and the sandy beach of the
Eastern shore. The neglected boy or
girl of a remote and less fortunate
district or county today may and Will
likely become for lack of opportunity
the dependent citizen of Richmond to-
morrow. We cannot Confine ignorance
forever to its own local environment.
The States contribution must he en-
ployed to equalize conditions as far
as possible. There must, therefore, be
liberal State school fund 20 supple
ment local effort and 1t mus, be SO dis
trlhuted as to equalse educational on
portunity. Apportion'ment on the basis
OF school population aggravatce inc
CVfu tnGt 1%
Certain favored counties arr able to
provide good schools without STATE
aid, but they have duty to their less
favored neighhors.
Mill Tax or Segreg alton.
If the schools ever expect to receive
proper amount from the State, the
method of direct appropriation must
quickly be abolished and the present
mill tax increased. or n definite, fixed
percentage OF all the States revenues
be segregated for school purpo ses l
personally prefer the mill tax. hut if
the segregation principle is to prevail
the same thing can be accomplished
by appropriating n certain proportion
of the States total income to eduCa-
ton.
The use of the school census basis
for the apportionplent Of funds is one
of the worst ana most unjust bases
% apportionment we have in use, and
It's abandonment for some better CON-
binauon basis is greatly to be desired.
A few objections briefly summarized
are:
!. 1t is correct only one year out of
five when the cepsus is taken,
., A small community. maintaining
n school of six 20 seven grades for
six months is enabled to draw Con
tween the ages OF six and twenty on g
on exactly the same basis as Il COM
munity maintaining school for nine
months and a high school in addition.
No reward Is thus offered any commu-
nifty for maintaining high schools,
evening schools, kindergartens. or
other special types of school
The real unit OF cost Is the teacher
who must be employed to teach tho
school and not the children who may
or do attend. and the best results may
be obtained by combination OF
teachers actually employed and aver
age daily attendance multiplied by the
length OF the term.
There IS. therefore, great need that
this whole question OF school revenues
should receive careful investigation
and study with a view of gathering in
formation for the next LEGISLATURE
and ! recommend that a strong stand
ing committee be appointed to make
continuous study OF the subject and
report at each annual meeting OF the
conference.
Compulsory Education.
The civilized world today has. In the
matter OF public education, rather fol-
lowed the dictum of Macaulay that
whoever has the right to hang, has
the right TO educate"
In practice it chooses to be guided
by the wisdom OF Thomas Jefferson.
first OF English speaking statesmen
who perceived the true meaning Of ed
ucation as an influence molding State
and national life According to Lord
Macaulay he was the foremost states
man In the world in the clearness and
completeness OF his conception or uni
versai education. jefferson said, Il
look to the diffusion of light and edu-
cation as the resource most to be re-
he'd on for ameliorating the condi-
ton, promoting the virtue, and ad-
vancing the happiness of man A
system OF general instruction which
shall reach every description Of our
citizens from the richest to the poor
est, as IL was the earliest So il will
be the latest of all the public concerns
in which / shall permit myself to take
an interest. Educate and inform the
whole mass OF the people No other
sure foundation can be devieed for the
p,,s. six.. 81 n