The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-01

dents themselves--the men who have
been behind every movement for pro-
gress In the schoois--have accom-
plished. First. they have studied their
problems.
"A distinguished professor in the de-
partment Of education in one of our
great universities made the remark
not long ago that the science OF edu-
cation was only ten years old. and
another authority expressed II by say
Ing that the study of applied psychol-
ogy is in the making. Whether these
students should be accepted absolutely.
am not prepared to say; but I do
know that the experience of our best
division superintendents during the
past ten years has given them pro-
fessionai standing of the highest or
der among those who are competent
to Judge. These men have mastered
the theory of their profession by care
full study and have practiced it sue
cessfuliy in the field. making a record
which one Of our leading school jour-
nails was pleased to treat editorially
in a recent issue under the caption
'virginia's Glory
THE fundamental requirements as
to the enrolment and attendance of
children. the elimination of illiteracy.
the sanitation of school grounds and
buildings. the introduction of n proper
course of study in each school. the
Improvement of the teaching force
and a thorough training in the essen
tials, have been neglected by hardly
a single member of our corps OF SUI
perintendents Many of them. how
ever, have gone far beyond the usual
and necessary requirements of their
positions and have taken a profess
sional pride in mastering some new
department in education, or in investi-
eating the value of some new course
of procedure. or in surveying some
new field of educational thought.
| New Courses Instituted.
/ Manual training and domestic
| science are so we'll established in our
/ leading schools that We are beginning
| to speak OF them as part of the old
| education, and we And no less than
| forty-two counties and fifteen cities
| offering regular courses in these
| branches. In some divisions large
numbers OF children are taking ad-
| vantage of the opportunities offered
to secure a practical education in ad
= dillon to the usual academic train
| ing.
Some speak lightly OF these
| courses or dub them mercinary, but
| the modern ideas OF economy and eff
| flciency demand that the schools shall
! do much more than merely fill up the
| leisure hours of their students.
| I'm the more favored localities
manual training takes on the form Of
| prevocational courses leading to
definite and productive apprenticeship,
| the school becoming a life-ftting
| school in business sense; and in the
/ same category must be mentioned the
! commercial courses which are found
| In go many of our high schools.
! Man Must First BE Child.
ION the other hand. we find that the
! same leadership in our county and city
| schools Is keenly alive to the fact that
| one must be child before he can be
| a man, and that many OF the child 8
! iisure hours must be devoted to
! wholesome play and recreation RI he
| is to develop into a well-rounded
! healthy. virtuous man. Thus II hap
| pens we are giving careful attention
! to recreation and exercise in the open
air az never before. The Virginia
| pamphlet on Recreation is in de-
mand throughout the Union, and the
| State is recognized AZ lead In this
! great movement
Following the statements in refer
ence to manual exercises and recrea-
| ton. II is natural that l should speak
! of the Statewide effort which has
/ been made to inculcate right ideas in
| reference to personal and civic hy-
| gtene. / doubt IL there Is another
| state IN which the Appropriation OF
| substantial amounts OF State school
money Is made contingent upon GER
tain sanitary provisions for all of the
| schools of district or county. In fact,
| nna NJ o,,r S4xjriop s,,nartpfarha a