Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-12-18
PUBLIC SCHOOL TERM
NOW NATIONS AVERAGE
Reaches Eight Months for
First Time. Superinten-
dent Shows.

The length of the public school
term in Virginia last session practi-
cally reached the average term for
the nation of eight months for all
schools. white and colorcd. city and
rural" Harris Hart state Supcrin-
tcndcn, Of Public instruction. said
saturday This is new attainment
for the public schools OF tho Com
monweaith and represents an in
crease of one month in tho length
OF tho school tern, since 1910. Al
that time the average length OF
school term in Virginia was seven
months.
The time has been in Virginia. and
1t is. perhaps. still So in isolated
sections. that the school term has
heen :" short. five or SIX month. that
tn" local school has made little i'm
preston upou It's community. In
fact. II has been out OF session ia
many months in the year as IL has
been in session with the result that
those not sending children to school
nave hardly discovered it's existence
Hut IN" present outlook is for the
attainment at AN early date of n
MIN" months school term for tho
rnra! schools such AS the city schools
already have.
when the school term runs hut
seven months ii requires fourteen
years for Il child To complete tho
equivalent ~ a standard c;"ven-ycar
elementary and high school course
combined. When schools arc rum
nlnE on an eight months basis II
col,
10 complete the same amount OF
schooling. The obvious Importance
81 standard school term is re-
v"a!"d 10y these considerations. as
VOL az many others.
virginia. | think" said State SUI
rcrint"nd"nt Harris Hart. "can take
som" prid" in tn" increased enroll
m"nt and daily attendance upon the
schools shown IN recent years While
tn" school population has increased
nut iittl" over 10 per cent since
l?l". there has been a rs per cent
increase in the enrolment Of the
school population. and ~ por cen,
incr"as" in til. daily attendance upon
the schools sine. 1910. This means
mat tn" children are not only being
enrolled, hut ar" showing marked Inn
prov"mcni in attendance.
Eighty per cent OF tho children %,
school age, between the years or
and 20. wer" last session enrolled
in the public schools OF the Common
wealth. In 1910 only 65 per cent OF
IN" school population was enrolled
since 1910 Their" has been a Q pcr cen,
in'r"as" In daily attendance on the
enrolment. and 4 l6 per cent in
cr"aS" in daily attendance on tho
school population. both facts indica-
NY" OF real schoo' progress
From thcs" considerations I, Is
plain tina, tho increase In the length
"f tho school term ~ one month
sine" 1910 is being taken advantage.
q! by an even more striking In
crease In the enrolment OF pupi,s
ana In their daily attendance upon
the schools.
With the operation Of the com
nnisory attendance law within tho
next few years even greater improve
m"ni in enrolment and especially in
attendants" should he reported
There have been times in Virginia
when enrolment and Attendance
were so low that from one-third to
one half az tho children Of the Com
monwralth did not avail .themsclye.
~ the educational opportunities or
Tered. which. Of course meant n scri
Gus financial loss as well az elu
'aii"nal loss 10 the state" said SUI
reriniend"nt Harris Hart"