Evening star., 1944-01-15
Virginia School Board
Adopts Nine-Point
Improvement Plan
Proposals Go Beyond
Those Put Forward
By Gov. Dorden
BY the Associated Press.

RICHMOND, Jan. is. - Virginia
legislators, studying Gov. Darden,s S
s235, ,000, 900 budget over the week
end in the light of a prediction of
declining revenues and a request for
a sales tax referendum, found fur
ther food for thought in a broad
nine-point program for improve
ment in public education adopted by
the State Board of Education.
The board, going even further
than Gov. Darden in projecting
definite views on improvements in
the States school system, made
public its recommendation yesterday
just after the assemblymen had ad-
journed until Monday.
Designed to include development
of skills in all elementary grades, a
thorough system of guidance, a 12-
year, instead of an 11-grade, system
in high schools and regional trade
schools to furnish post-high school
courses for students not going to
college, the points embodied in the
boards recommendation were:
l. That greater emphasis be placed
on thoroughness of instruction in
the fundamental subjects and in the
development fskills in all elemen-
tary grades.
Guidance System.
2. That there be established in all
schools a thoroughgoing system of
guidance, thus individualizing in
struction in so far as means permit
SO that each child be so taught and
placed in school that the maximum
amount of development be secured.
3. That the high school program
be changed at the earliest possible
date from an II to a 12-year system
in order that there may be better
preparation for college for those
who plan to attend college.
4. That a system of regional trade
schools be set up throughout the
State in which the trades will be
taught for one to two years beyond
the present high school years; the
program to be correlated with the
high school program in such a way
that the graduates will be both
skilled workers and we'll informed
members of society.
5. That the compulsory attend
ance law be strengthened and ex-
tended so that the loss now sus-
tanned by the commonwealth, due
to the dropping out of school of
large numbers of pupils at age Is,
be eliminated.
Adult Education.
6. That opportunity be provided
In the schools for the education of
adults for the purpose of eliminating
illiteracy, and for the training of
those who wish to pursue further
study in evening schools and part
time classes.
7. That on the average at least
one-half of the high school teachers
be men.
8. That visiting teachers be en-
ployed in each school division who
shall explain the program to the
parents and who shall serve as
attendance officers in an effort to
improve regular attendance in
school and to bring into school those
children who are not now enrolled.
9. That in order to carry out such
a program it is essential that sue
cessful teachers be retained in the
public school system and that there
be brought in the system as teachers
the best qualified citizens of the
State.
Funds Not Mentioned.
There was no mention of the spe-
ciflc amount of money needed for
this purpose. the boards resolution
said, but it added that there was full
agreement between the board, the
Governor and the General Assembly
as to the importance of developing
our educational program to meet the
needs of the State"
Francis S. Chase, executive secre-
tary of the Virginia Education Asso-
citation, said he had no doubt that
every school board in the State could
use the additional money for in
struction which has been requested
by the Board of Education without
any conflict with the national wage
stabilization policy, by raising sub
standard salaries and by cost of liv-
ing adjustments for teachers in ac-
(See SCHOOLS. Page RAJ