The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-29
.STEARNES SHOWS GREAT
j GROWTH IN STATES
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
Now Nearly Half Million Children School Rolls of State
Average Length of Session Now More Than Seven
Months Increased Fnanca! Support Is
Given Schools by Lawmakers


most interesting features OF today's
sessions of the Educational confer
enne was the annual address OF the
superintendent of public instruction,
II, G. Stesrnes
Mr.. Stearnes gave resume or the
development in the educational sys~
Lem of Virginia in recent years, SHOW :
ing nov that in every line OF endeavor
there has been such progress as had
not been made in all the history OF
fhs STATE before In school buildings,
in financial support by the general
ASSEMBLY, in The number Of scholars
on roll. now nearly half million. won
|. derful Improvement was shown, fig
pres being presented OF the most con
Ntncihg character:
Supt Stearue's Address
Sr. Stearnes spoke as follows;
IT seems TO me THAT this meeting
ard this hour gain a new signihcance
in view of our national perils ana our
national energies. Ike 10 eeiieNe
that we represent in small though
earnest measure the. patriotic heart
ard consecrated effort of the Ameft-
car people-the faith. and courage.
ana strength. and spirit that enifnates
l and inspires them now. May | not
si this period OF great peril and rich
Opportunity. pledge for you service
of enduring faith and ceaseless ener-
|, gys May I not claim for you ana TOT
saur native state, whom YOU represent.
a. pregnant share in the nations vital
activities--in her mighty preparations
fny the supreme crisis ahead Of her
Il know shat 4 may. for gathered
her are the leaders OF her best
Wrought and her purest inspirations
s--the men and women who carry To
her peopIe The cup OF knowledge and
-f TRUTH and the seeds Of her SINGER
rnt patriotism.
The outstanding feature OF our rec
ORD for session fats-t7 was The I'm
ysatalleled financial stride we made
.he increase in revenue having ex-
a.ess Il ed not -nrl.- tho largest previous
a7fs4t.AI increase but even the largest
rreviofs hiennial increase and that
TOE hv the handsome sum Of nearly
haif a r1filiou dollars. Increasing our
revenue in single year 10 greater
s1tent than In any two previous years
ef our history ie an achievement OF
she greatest significance and import
aace. particularly At this time our
nauai increase for 3 single year has
ranged FROM one hundred and Atty 10
mtx hundred thousand dollars, going
ss high as sSee. 900 in one instance.
session l9es-oT last year it was ST.
As ESQ 50.
Increased Funds.
The increased funds were used
to 6rir- The teachers salary column
hi, 10 s. - s62o2. a very gratifying
Alliance beyond sSla1.24S.oa. the
ssnount paid in 1912; and the amount
~.s spent Oh GOOD school buildings
~Ts 81. SAT 0ol ga which is a fun half
rriIiior dollars mere than the aver
Ags amount gpent during recent years
~r6 surpasses by nearly four hun
dre8 thousand dollars the best pre-
vloua record. towit, that Of last year
1Asger SUMS were spent FOR Libraries
ard scientific apparatus also.
Length af Session.
: The question Of average length of
session in Virginia may be ukened IN
"a plant Of SLOW growth. II remained
ave and fraction months from 1872
~ 1893 varying from ais N onths IL
1872 to sas In 1899 Six and a frac-
sfcn months obtained from 1900 10
1918 Now the session appears tot
isve gene permanently above the
SCREEN YFfenshs mark. the average Last
wear being : months, a gain Of three
ard one-half days FOR the session. The
one and two~roorn schools made ait
average increase Of three days
Il arr satisfied that the large n
crease In funds and our new p3au
which rrakes TIE distribution of the
ore ard two-room fund dependent or
lrnrth Of session To q considern bic ex,
TENT. viii give us the greatest increase
of session Outing the present year that
the state has ever known.
Enruiinfcuf and Attendance.
In enrolment we continued our on
ward march going from 4si.s4S to
AassAs4, Our average attendance.
however. WAS not quite as large az
during tire preceding year
Internal Development.
Referring to the development of
the schools internally call attention
70 this standard tests i'm spelling i'm
February and TO the recent extension
Of our agricultural work by avail !
ing ourselves OF the provisions OF IN.
Esnith Hughes aet and by publishing
che manual on elementary vocational
agriculture designed to promote the |
teaching OF agriculture in the common
schools without the services of an ex- !
pert. This manual wits prepared by
Mr. F.. A. Miller of the federal de- |
psrtrnent OF agriculture, cola borating
with the members OF the V. P. I. facul- |
~. and will he distributed through I
the division snpertntendents early IN |
she year. I have already addressed /
the conference on the provisions Of the |
Smith Hughes act,
For the rest l should say that the /
wear has been crowded with derls DIS /
from our chief magistrate in whose |
radiant orifarne vfe must still be per- |
United to read the endearing Words
Educator and Nirginian. as welt as
President In the performance Of /
every patriotic duty we have triet 10
40 our full part, and have received /
iuost kindly commentator from both
state and federal authorities on ac- /
s-ssunt Of our work n, the food producs
ftcn pledge card. and liberty bond I
campaigns. We are now about to en-
sage in furthering the sale Of war
savings STAMPS. and in organizing
iaYnior Red Cross auSiliaries In every
public school.
Our Educational Program.
Ever = cnrsory examination OF the
annual reports ~ the past four years
reveals the fact that the department
~ public instruction has been proceed
itfr along definite lines and with a de-
finite object in view. The very organi- +
sation or the department Itself has
made this natural and easy process,
for among the inspectors and other
.fscialss connected with the department
have been found some OF the most en-
pariencaa AND successful schoclmen
Nj !