Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-03-25


the little importance which the people attach
to the office. Hence most of those who teach
feel no permanent interest in the schools. They
engage in teaching merely by the way,to raise
the means of doing something else. So soon
as constant employment,w increased wages.
is offered ihcm, they usually abandon school
keeping, Hence but few teachers ofttod OK
pericnco can be found. The profession is
generally filled by young persons from fifteen
10 twenty five wears Of age, who take up the
business without any direct preparation for it;
and as they do not expect TO gain their rcpu'
tation or living by teaching. there is little
motive to cxertion or improvement. The
good of the public demandsthat the business of
teaching should be erected into distinct pro.
fcssion-sustaned by such respect and com
pensation as its importance demands. We
barely suggest this topic for the consideration
ofthinking people, without having space or
time to follow it out into all its bearings.
There is also great want o! punc,uality
and regularity Of attendance, on the part Of
the pupils The committee have some Stub
born facts proving the existence ofthis cvi ,and
facts which ought to be known. We are ac
uuainted with some towns where two thirds,
and some, where not more than one half
of the scholars for whom common schools
arc instituted and sustained, do attend. This
arises from various sources. One principal
cause, is the neglect or parsimonv OF parents.
Another cause is the Ignorance OF parents, es
pcciay ofthe lower class Of foreigners, Of the
value Of education for their children. Anoth-
or cause, is the inveteratc prejudice of Roman
Catholics against Protestant schools pre-:
judicc which the willy Priests inculcate and
strengthen, by every means in their power
Hence from the evil Of which we now speak,
results the fact, that the number of grown up
men and women in our State who cannot read
and write, is increasing with fearful rapidly
every year and is threatening to roll back ups
on us the shades of thick old night.
There is another subject to which public at
ton,ion should be drawn, as it is intimately
connected with tho prosperity of our schools,
though our limits will permit US only to refer
to it. We mean the structure, size and oca.
ton Of school houses. Tho size of school
houses is much too small 1--WE often find"
says one who has attcntively examined this
subject, " fifty or sixty pupils crowded into a
room of 10 feet square, of which number. 80
write, 60 study arithmetic and n few grams
mar and geography; and within these dmen-
sions all the ovolutions Of a school, or the ar
rangement and dsbandng Of classes are to be
performed" We happen (somc of us) TO
know from experience, that it is impossible TO
proceed with the appropriate exercises of a
school, cncamped in this manner Greater
attention ought, also, to be paid to the location
Of school houses, They are generally located
on this principle, viz: they must be placed as
near as possible in the contre of the district
| Hence they are often placed near stagnan'
marshes and ponds Cor what is scarcely less
iniurous) near sand banks, or in close contact
with ails or taverns or blacksmith shops, where
the pupils arc continually exposed to interrup.
ton from noise or to bad moral Influences
Some may think the subject involved in these
remarks small matter--but we think it o
sufficient importance to command the atlcn'
ton of the friends Of Common Schools.
We have in our state about 5000 dstrIc
schools. The annual average expense ofthest
schools is about 500 each making their an
nual cost to the state 100000 If we take
into account other expenses, such as board
fuel, stationary,and the building and repairing
of school houses, it will be found that GU
5000 district schools cost us not less than hal
million evory year. Now ifihis amount o
money is already expended in the best possible
manner, and is producing to the state the bes
2 effects it can be made to produce. then there i
f no call for any revision Of our system, or 70
any other effort. But if the examination AM
removal of the evils we have named, wouI'
make the state derive twice as much bcncii
: from the same expenditure, then rcly,some
thing ought to be done, and our legislators
who are the guardians Of the public welfare
ough, to do something to make our system
4 more efficient for educating the young citizen
n Of tho slate.
d 3. Remedies for eristing Euils.
= There Is throughout the State more una
g nimity among thinking men, on the mpoT
4 tanc, of lmprovn. he state of primary ed
!, ucatlon, than nS to the means oy which It
c to be accomplished. A preliminary ste
|. undoubtedly is, thoroughly to explore tn
1t ground and lay the results of this erploro
= ton before the people and their Legislators
!. and thus bring the public mind to reflect
lie the public ear to listen and the public ey
is to see the evils of which we speak. Evil
II if they exist must be seen. Or we shall
y, nothing to correct them: For it is wit
n, communities as with individuals and no on
rs says Fisher Ames, is less likely to lmproS
c. han the coXcomb who fances that he hi
r already learned out and has no deticlenci
IF to supply. As we must rely upon OF
n, common Schools for nstrucling the gre
a. mass of the people, It would seem that
il any measures are to be taken, or any a
is preparations are TO be made by the leglsl
an ture for the diffusion of knowledge gene
Il ally, those schools demand their first ate
~. ton. Tney are the foundation not only
ii. one whole system Of public instruction, b
RI of all our tree institutions, " Let our rue
CT take care, then, that this basis b. not
ny lowed to crumble away. II 1t do so the
49, 49, will be ,crenchingin the poitlca fabric, VIII
,se it will be too late to apply brace, --ds
Is, der and confusion when it will be too la
in to take the alarm, and impending ruin VIII
nu it will be too late to escape it,. Bat let Il
~ foundation be laid deep aud firm, not or
,ds IN the laws and provisions OF our Legis
or ture, but also in the heads aud hearts OF G
er, people. The care of our higher seminar
ra- ~ IN anprnnriatalv E,llnu