The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-02

| fessionaI training for teachers in the
Richmond schools continues It's re-
markables rise. which Is shown AZ
| follows
1918 1874 1915
collegiate Certificates. 70 ia l4s
/ Normal Certificates " IS 216 S77
First Grade Certificates 225 1872 114
Training Glass Certih-
! Gates ............ 40 43 rs
Richmond held the second session
OF the City Normal School for teach
ers during the summer OF 1914 The
city expended s2,500 on this school.
OF which amount $3.50 was paid for
instruction to colored teachers The
total cost of the school was s4.86S.60,
raised by contributions from the State
| C$2,579 and other sources
! (s50.75). There Is balance of
! s4s.5l on hand to the credit OF the
Normal School Fund.
| The enrolment Of the night schools
was 4,s43 az against 3,746 the pre-
vious session. This increase OF 29.2
per cent added to the unprecedented
| increase of III per cent the year be-
fore attests the great favor found by
these schools, and the splendid work
they are doing for the community.
During the year contracts were let
Tor new school buildings and annexes
dition to this s227,2e5 was appro-
priated for additional school sites
! The fncrease in the value of school
property per pupil enrolled increased
| from $3.50 in 1910 to Sa2.7l in 1915.
The character of the buildings now is
infinitely better and the aCcommoda-
J tons are far more spacious than then
| But notwithstanding the large sums
! expended for sites and holdings dur
ing this period. there were at the
/ beginning of the session n total of
/ 90 classes on part time Before The
session closed the number OF part time
classes had increased to &c. The Board
asks for an immediate Appropriation
OF 100000 for additional buildings
to accommodate the overflow Of pu-
pills and the steadily growing needs
Of the department.
/ In the annual message ! sent to
your Honorable Body for the year
1912 | used language which here
repeat with greater emphasis as the
proposal therein has received the ap-
proval OF many thoughtful persons
said:
The problem of financing public
education is n large. serious and diff
cult one. We still do * out OF the
general fund. upon which II makes
wing tHroads, it consumed fos
maintenance alone, last year IS per
cent OF the total appropriations tex
Cept for Interest and redrmption) and
this years budget carries appropria-
tons for the same purpose amounting
+ 10 l4.3 per cent Of that sum. We
have arrived where we Inust serious
ly consider the advisa blity Of entirely
separating this problem from the gen
eral fund. and providing separate AMI
Independent support for schools by
special levy"
You will observe that IN the year
/ 1912 thirteen per centum of the total
budget appropriations except for
interest and redemption. went 10 the
/ School Department to cover the cost
Of tuition and maintenance alone
Funds for sites and buildings are de
rived from other sources The budget
for 1913 carried 143 per cent OF that
sum for the same purposes The
budget for 1915. the current year, car
Ties 20 per centum OF that sum for
the same purposes You VIII see that
We are spending, roundly, nearly one
fourth OF our curront income avail
able for the support Of city depart
ments for this purpose.
| repeat to you that we should
eriously consider the adviaability of
entirely sepa rating the support of the
schools from the general fund, provtd-
ing for them by special levy At the
D. T.
pulsogy education was adopted by q
vote OF 3,0SG TOR" 10 2T9 against"
This Amos; unanimous vote for con-
pulsoTy school attendance clearly m
poses upon Us the duty 10 provide for
buildings. maintenance and tuition in
a rnsnner that will not en- barrass the
other CITY departments. In other
words. r. We really want y We cannot
with good grace object TO paying
liar. H.
The industrial survey Of Richmond
made in So under the auspices Of
: National Society for the Promotion OF
Industrial Education attracted ma
uonal attention. and is OF vast import
ance in aiding the solution Of our
problem OF industrial education. The
National Society held Sta meeting here
in Decem Der of that year with var
lloIs discussions OF the survey which
contains several practical, cons,ruc-
1.-Two recommendations for iodustriaI
education IN this city. which hope to
SEQ adopted
By annexation o. portions OF terri
tory formerly parts OF the counties
tof Henrlco and Chesterfield in Noxem-
her, 1914, 2,S73 pupils and - teach
ers were added 10 our school system
The super7ntendent states that it wall
take AZ least two years 10 adjust the
anneXed schools to the standards OF
the city system, and this, OF course
means larger appropriat
The use OF school buildings as So
cial or community centers continued
through the session with greater
popularity than ever before. This fine
idea has now become an established
practice with us, and none disputes
the wisdom OF Il. The reports of the
directors OF manual training and of
/ industrial la
scope OF the work of those divisions
has been broadened. and gives IN de-
tail the results achieved by the la Dor
Of the members OF their faculties II
may be news TO many citizens and
even to members OF your own body.
that industrial education has been ex-
tended by the organization of night