institution, not only to decide whether or not she is prepared to enter, but also to determine the classes to which she shall be assigned. "The conditions of admission are that the applicant should be at least sixteen years of age, and should be able to stand a good examination on the six studies required by law to be taught in the public schools, viz: Orthography, Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, English Grammar, and Geography. She should also be possessed of a vigorous constitution, good natural capacity, and, of course, a blameless moral character." Applications for entrance at the next session, which begins September 15th, 1887, are rapidly coming in, and the indications are that the school will open with good prospects of a successful session. For additional information, address, JNO. A. CUNNINGHAM, Principal, Superintendents of Schools to Appoint Students to the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute. The attention of county and city superintendents of schools is called to a change in the law in regard to the number of State students admitted to the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, and the manner of appointing them. Under the former law only fifty State students were provided for, under the present law about two hundred. But the sections of the amended law herewith published sufficiently explain themselves. "§9. There shall be admitted into the institute, free of charge for tuition, use of laboratory or public buildings, and upon such terms. as to board and other expenditures as the Board of Visitors may prescribe, a number of colored students equal to twice the number of members of the House of Delegates, to be apportioned in the same manner. Such students shall be designated as State students, and shall not be less than fifteen nor more than twenty-five years of age, and shall be selected by the superintendents of schools of the respective counties and cities from the colored pupils of either sex attending the free schools, or in their discretion from others than those attending said free schools. Superior proficiency in study and good moral character shall be duly regarded in the selections. "§ 10. Due notice shall be given by the president of said institute to the county and city superintendents of schools of all vacancies existing or likely to occur in said institute in the case of State students, whereupon said county and city superintendents of schools shall proceed to fill said vacancy and officially notify the president of do so-to make their arrangements to be present on the first day and remain till the close. The delay this year in entering was doubtless due, in a number of instances, to the lack of timely information as to where and when the institutes were to be held. It is proposed to begin the preliminary arrangements for this work at an early day next year, and to disseminate proper information in regard thereto, as far as practicable, before the schools close. The number of teachers attending institutes during the present summer is about fifteen hundred, of which number over a thousand are white, and between four and five hundred colored. In the whole number are counted as many as a hundred and fifty who attended county institutes of three or four weeks' duration. We are glad that a number of county superintendents have shown so much interest in the improvement of teachers as to have organized and conducted county institutes continuing for three or four weeks without cost to the State or to the Peabody Fund. But hereafter it would be well to so arrange the times for holding the county and State institutes, that there will be no conflict between them, and that any who desire to do so can attend both. Formal reports of all the institutes held in the State during the present summer will be published in the annual School Report of Virginia. This obviates the necessity in this article of special comment on the different phases of the work presented during the present summer. Thoughtful and progressive educators recognize the fact that there is such a thing as a science of education, and that the proper application of its principles constitutes the art of teaching. The fact is also becoming more fully realized that teaching is a profession, and that to attain a high degree of usefulness and efficiency in it requires a special preparation, just as is the case in any other profession. Hence in many States normal schools have long since passed beyond the stage of experiment and are regarded as among the most effective forces in the public school system. In Virginia we have three State normal schools, two for colored and one for white teachers. These have been making, and will continue to make, important additions to our teaching force. But the number of trained teachers which they turn out annually bears but a small proportion to the whole number of teachers employed in the public schools (nearly seven thousand). Hence now, and for some time to come, normal institutes furnish to the great mass of our public school teachers the only opportunity for systematic instruction and drill in the principles and practice of their profession. Hence it is conceived to be the duty, as it is the purpose, of this Department to spare no effort to make these institutes or training schools as efficient and thorough and wide-reaching as possible. The Virginia School Register. The School Laws provide that "the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall prepare suitable registers, blank forms and regulations for making all reports," &c., (section 24, page 35); "that every teacher in a public school shall keep a daily register of facts pertaining to his school in such form as the school regulations shall require,' &c., (section 92, page 48.) In accordance with the requirements of the law, the "Virginia School Register" was prepared and adopted by the State Board of Education as the register to be used in all the schools of the State. The preparation of this register began, we are told, some years ago. It was not, however, completed and published till about a year ago. It is not safe to claim perfection for any book. No such claim is made for this one. It may not provide for all the records which some of the city schools may desire to make, but nevertheless it is believed on the whole to be well adapted to its purpose. It is not an easy matter to find a better one Then, any changes or additions deemed expedient can appear in a new edition to succeed the present one at the end of the current four years, or if a better book is offered from any quarter, it can be adopted at that time in place of the present one. Certainly no one can complain of this register as to its mechanical execution, for it is excellent; the printing is in the best style of the art, the paper good, the binding durable, the price lowseventy-five cents per copy. One register will, as a rule, serve each school four years, thus reducing the cost to each school to eighteen and three-fourth cents a year, a few cents being added to cover postage or freight or express charges, (see EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL, August, 1886.) A very large majority of the public schools (over five thousand) were supplied with the register last year. Messrs. Randolph & English, the publishers, can fill all orders for the schools not yet supplied. It is especially important that these orders be made at once, that the registers may be in hand when the schools open. If there is any department of the public school system in which uniformity is necessary, and therefore to be insisted on, it is in the use of the school register. Accordingly, a regulation was adopted a year ago or more, that the Virginia School Register be used in all the schools. Now the School Laws require: "That the State Superintendent shall take care that the schoo laws and regulations be faithfully executed, (section 22, page 35.) "That District boards of trustees shall explain and enforce the school laws and regulations, and themselves observe the same, (section 59, page 41.) "That county and city superintendents shall observe such directions and regulations as the Superintendent of Public Instruction may from time to time prescribe," (section 48, page 39.) Furthermore, our official oath binds us to faithfully perform the duties of our respective offices to the best of our abilities, (section 341, page 123.) Now, it is the duty of district school boards under the law to supply all the schools with these registers, and of superintendents to see that the duty is performed as far as they can do so. "Where there is a will, there is," usually, "a way" found by district boards to carry out this regulation. We aim hereby to spur the will. Orders sent directly to Messrs. Randolph & English, accompanied by check or P. O, money order, will receive prompt attention. Peabody Scholarships in the Normal College at Nashville, Tenn. As is well known, the trustees of the Peabody Education Fund some years ago established in the Normal College at Nashville, Tenn., "a number of scholarships of $200 each, for the encouragement and aid of students from different Southern States, whose characters, abilities, general culture and health give special promise of usefulness as teachers." These scholarships are of two years' duration. The number of them allotted to Virginia is fourteen. At the close of the last session eight students from Virginia were graduated. Hence there are eight vacancies to be filled. Applicants for these vacancies were examined on the 2d of August at the Peabody institutes held at Farmville, Fredericksburg, Pearisburg, and Strasburg. The examination papers of all the applicants, with estimates of their values made by the institute instructors, have been forwarded to the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The last package was received on Saturday, the 21st. The papers from the different places have been compared and the estimates of their values reviewed. It was found that these estimates were carefully and judiciously made, and therefore substantially correct. As the regulations require, the scholarships have been awarded strictly on the basis of merit. The following are the successful applicants: Miss Susie M. Baker, Gordonsville, Va.; Mr. John W. Bowman, Front Royal, Va.; Miss M. Christie Brightwell, Lynchburg, Va.; Mr. John T. De Bell, Centreville, Fairfax county, Va.; Miss Mary S. Keeney, Rocky Mount, Franklin county, Va.; Mr. Oscar L. Kennedy, Orange Courthouse, Va.; Mr. William R. Orndorff, Strasburg, Shenandoah county, Va.; Mr. Ashley P. Vaughan, Petersburg, Va. The number of applicants this year was twenty-three. Besides the eight successful applicants there were others whose papers evinced high merit. The dividing line in some instances was not broad. If those who failed to receive an appointment this year will carefully review all the studies required on examination, a number of them will be formidable competitors next year. The State Female Normal School. (Circular No. 31.) COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, To County and City Superintendents: You are hereby earnestly requested to distribute promptly and judiciously the enclosed circulars of information relating to the State Female Normal School at Farmville, Va. The first section of the law creating this school reads as follows: "Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That there shall be established, as hereinafter provided, a normal school expressly for the training and education of female teachers for the public schools." The law further provides for a representation in the school from every county and city in the State. The law thus clearly defines the objects of the school and its relation to the public school system of the State. It has now been in successful operation for three years, and has increased in patronage and popular favor every year. The catalogue of the last year shows an enrolment of two hundred and seventy pupils. Some changes have occurred in the faculty, and some modifications have been made in the organization; but the school is now completely equipped and ready for the work of the fall session. As the school is designed to specially benefit our public school system, superintendents will recognize it as their duty to make known as widely as practicable the objects and character of the school, and to encourage pupils to attend it. Let each superintendent bring the matter to the attention of those desiring to become |