Chap. 340.—An ACT providing for an eight weeks’ course of instruc-
tion for the colored teachers in this state.

Approved March 7, 1884.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
the president and faculty “ot the Vir ginia normal and colle-
giate institute shall be required, during each and every year,
to conduct a normal course of instruction for the benefit of
the colored teachers in the public schools of this state, or
those who expect to make teaching a profession—said normal
course to commence on some day between the cighteenth and
twenty-fifth days of July, to be fixed by the state superinten-
dent of public instruction, and continue for eight weeks.

2. The president of the said normal and collegiate institute,
who shall be appointed for a term of three years by the state
board of education, with the superintendent of public instruc-
tion of this state, may so divide the said faculty as thata
part of it may relieve the other from the class-room during
the aforementioned eight week’s normal course of instruc.
tion.
3. Theannual salary paid the instructors in the said normal
school shall be rewarded as covering the time in which they
are engaged in giving instruction in the said normal course:
provided this shall not prohibit the superintendent of public
instruction from employing competent and skilled normal
school lecturers to assist the regular faculty in conducting the
normal course, or from supplementing the salary of the said
faculty from any funds that may be at his disposal for the
purpose of conducting normal institutes: provided the money
so to do, comes from some other than state school funds.

4. When any county or city superintendent of schools
shall be notified of the time of the commencement of said
normal course, he shall notify all the colored school teachers
in his city or county, and said teachers shall be required to
attend said normal course at least one month in each year,
except prevented by sickness; and should any teacher fail
to attend any session, or any part of said normal course, for
five consecutive school years, then the superintendent shall
revoke said teacher's license, and he shall not be allowed to
again enter the profession as a teacher until after he or she
shall have attended at least one session of said normal course
of instruction, unless excused by the board of education:
provided this section shall not include married women.

5. The teachers, in attending such normal course, may
occupy the rooms of the school, and in all respects have the
same accommodations as the regular students have during
the regular sessions of instruction, and subject to the rules
and regulations made for their eovernment by the board of
education. They shall receive certificates for proficiency and
attendance, and such other marks for distinction as the board
of education may think proper and by rules establish.

6. The charge for board shall not exceed eight dollars per
month while attending said sessions, and should it exceed
that sum, the deficiency shall be paid from the annuity to
this school.

7. <All the normal school buildings, the regular employees,
and so forth, shall be placed at the disposal of the board of
education tor this purpose during the above mentioned eight
weeks, without additional cost, except that nothing herein
shall be construed to prevent the superintendent of public
instruction from using any moncy at his disposal to further
and promote the objects of this normal course of instruction
among the colored teachers in any other part of the state.

8. ‘This act shall be in force from its passage.