The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-04-29
I FOR III

cannot afford TO spend $4,000 Q a
wear on her common schools, and al
low a large number OF children to be
growing into manhood and womauhood
in absolute illiteracy. The nations ana
states that have reached the htghest
condition OF education have found thai
an effective school attendance law 10
one OF requirements. Our own law
should be amended In several import
ant respects.
5-Teacher Training. ! believe that
many OF our Normal School men them
selves believe that the normal train
Ing offered in the normal school has
not been, in the past. OF as practical
q kind as the actual facts OF u edu-
cational problem demand. The MAJOR
iityF OF our teachers teach for a short
time only, and therefore the training
they receive should be designed to put
than into the possession OF a practical
procedure and method OF teaching. SO
far as il can possibly be done. The
opportunitv offered by the many high
schools of the state for teachers
training should be utilized TO the full:
est extent. but with a constant and
definite purpose Of making this train
ing as practical as II can be made.
6-'rhe Teachers Tenure OF Posi-
lion. The frequent change of place by
The teacher constitutes one OF the
greatest evils connected with our
school work. This Is especially true In
the rural schools. and the expression
''tlle ira MP teacher is sometimes sp'
piled TO indicate the nature of thu
evil. II the rural teacher remaining
in the same school the second year
were allowed a slight increase In sal
airy over the amount usually paid for
the certificate of the grade held. with
another slight increase the third year.
after which the salary would remain
StatioMary, il would do much TO cor.
rect this evil.
7-Supervision. Our large corpora.
tions. which are usually held up to us
as examples of f~ar.siGhted business
efficiency. will not allow a gang OF lab
orers to shovel dirt without adequate
supervision by a boss or foreman.
Every effort should be made TO IN:
crease tho extent and better the quail.
ity Of the supervision Of the teach
ing done in the state. In many tnstan'
ccS the magcsterial district does not
afford a satisfactory basis for eff
%fectivc supervision, and sonle provis.
1 NDl tUE LIS GoLADtnllilASllA /. VI SAPVA
| visOry districts should be made in the
| sections containing the rural and
small town schools.
Specialized Rural Schools. The
! great increase in the number OF sub.
i1ects that the rural teacher is eX.
pectcd to teach constitutes a real han.
idicap 10 successful teaching; still,
there are other subjects for which
There is an insistent demand. To place.
the responsibility for these on the al.
ready overhurdenod teacher would
! seem a mistake. In some of the best
countries OF Europe the question has
been solved by the establishment OF
specialized schools for the upper grade
i2upils. and undoubtedly by experiment
some way could be found OF giving
the larger pupils opportunities for var.
iOus special subjects by schools pro-
perry located. while leaving the small.
or pupils to attend schools of the kind
NC now have. These schools would not
he high schools Of the ordinary type,
but schools designed to meet the spe.
cial conditions and needs Of rural
life.
Especial Town Schools. Continu.
alton schools for the children who are
forced into productive labor by ccono
mic pressure. and schools designed to
promote the easy entrance of the stu.
dcpt into the useful and productive
trades and occupations + some OF
! the urgent needs Of our town school
| system.
1O-Frce Text Books. ! personally
believe in the policy Of free text books
for the public schools. This should
include an arrangement whereby per.
sons having hyGienic or sanitary OBJ.
lection to the indiscriminate use OF
such books might secure individual
copies at the lowest possible cost.
NoTE-Copies Of this and other cir
culars relating to tho contest for the
state superintendent may be secured
by addressing Box 4tG, Bluetfeid, w.
Na.-Adv't.