Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-02-15
The schoo, Controversy.
no the Editor or Thc Times. bian.

To the Editor or The Times biarateh.
( S:r.-Our contemporary. NJ Henson.
ii his letter OF last Sunday. area;-
tempted rcfu;a,!on ~ hts former let
/ tn stated several .hinGs ;hai are
I trnc ana at the Sr,'no tim. ono oih,r
( that is true aS iIr as il Ecos. lis
education forms the commor :nini. ':e
I say the twiS is bent the trees 81
7 ciincd." vii! grant. and also tina;
I the Virginia OF the u-i - Is moulded
I these Two N You ht;, he r:ht :dea.
/ Hc,in the pupils r.::H, n tie primary
schools AMI they are on u" r:Eh;
road that is they are moulded" but
alas for :; moulded object that tries to
pose as a finished product. Moulding
is only the beginning. and the hardest
and most accurate work must come
after the moulding has been COM
p!etcd.
Ii the State. including the schools.
can he run as chcaply today as In his
day, when the teacher. VINO was Il
moulded product. received less than
half OF $500" then the state is de-
Scnerating: and. though Virginia is
Ear behind in educational lines. | feel
mat She is not dcseneratins. We must
either advance or retrace our steps.
as there is 40 neutral point. When
teachers We're getting less than .a!f
OF $40" per year lab"rcrs were getting
ic>S than that. The Lahore" todir is
doing no harder wora Than in those
days. and very little harder work chan
he teacher. slough he is getting from
." 10 100 per ccnt more pay.
Axe The relative salaries tho same
as ;meE were IN Our friends school
days? Ave men in his standing today
SeitinS ne same income they were
IN his school days? |; they are then
rup:cy 'fDr himself. am not pleading
Tor an enormous" pas. for sc;:oo:
teachers hat only wilma, ne" shouII
:;et ia comparison To other .iassas n
I.1
wanted by our friend. then let mould
c:S run the schools. but YOU must pay
tnein nj least mouldcrs pay. We as
Americans want not the moulded pro-
duet, but the finished article. ons that
WI! mesh in with the other mem bcrs
OF The machine Of State. and no: an
unfinished prodnc', which not only
also rctards the action of the mem
bers who are willing TO work.
As for tcachcrs' pay in Goldsmiht.s
,lms being $40 per year, that is cquG!
:, IN" ;N,3.,l language should be taught but
friend is "landholder OF considerable
mould the coming generations. but
they must be finished by private tut
ION and individual cost. allowing only
those pupils blcst with monetary sup
port TO acquire lha- which is neccs-
Sary to enable them TO take their
, ninces ; nmong men. rhose people VINO
plaining about tho proposed Increase.
they are in favor or x:
u We abolish tho high schools az
our friend proposes. wha; have We.
We hav" number Of pupilS with :,
rnHimcntary education. but without
hnancial Sunpori. going on, into til"
mans sou viii" has had n chance TO
attend :; higher school The inevitable
results.
oar friend refers 10 the primary
schools ianEuiShing through A four
months session, With five or six emil
nren Srn"imeS per teacher" Has II.
considered facts when he makes ;hcsr
statements: In his own county o:
Louisa. u, IL" time the last reDor,
went 10 press. the average length Of
term was ii> days for white. aud lo4
days for "oloccd pupils. while tho
county average for tho state was IA
days FOR white. and i.o DAYS for COL
orcd pupils. IN his county white
teachers averaged twenty pupils cach
"Hiic rolorcd teachers averaged
'hirty-S!N. In both cases Il little he