Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-12-23

Hom ltslegltnate connection with higher seminarie,
aiu an Attempts made to supply its vans witho,
bringing the later directly into the service os MARI
M ssihie "h9c. IN legislation /, ia divorce betwee
we nlyhor education aud the lower; divorce which
| your eommlttec would say with Difference bui xii
| stohg CONVICTION, cannot be justified on any around
ol SOUND reason or experience, and must be anrcrou
W we interests OF education in all its branches AM
| 10 tne Well-peng 81 the community. In this respec
| yonr committee cannot express too strongly thei
concur ence IN the opinion of the LEGISLATURE ma ON
bodied IN the last years report Of the House thai IN
the true policy and duty ofa State to encourage an,
foster, by liberal legislation, "a wise systcm o
education in al its branches and departments" /
should be a system; it should be one; all its part
| should be intimately connected with each other b,
the closest tics Of reciprocal influence and benefit
II may, indeed be urged, and with some truth, tina
?veoronsprosecution of measures for the improve
Alert Of common SCHOOLS, will naturally reach tn,
higher seliiidtcs Such result IL, doubtless to
certain extent, inevitable. In New England com
muny the true idea of State system will NANTES
itself more or less, even when the government fail.
10 Recognize its existence The idea possesses The
PUBLIC mind, and must act upon all educational move
mcnts. You cannot touch part ofthc system with
out reaching, for good or for evil. the whole. But il
by no means follows that the government may there
fore wisely or safely limit its supervision and patron
age to single department; for it belongs TO the wis
dom of the Legislature to recognize the idea and ia
realize It, and for that end TO bestow Its attention
and It's fostering care upon the system as whole
Nor, were the fostering care Of government 10 be
confined to some one part OF the SYSTEM would it fol-
low that common schools must be that pait What
the system most needs is tho spirit OF learning kept
alive and vigorous in all its departments This spirit
- strongest, and most vital and dlusve, where there
ls the highest culture. The higher seminarles are the
head and henri of an educational system it is from
them that the warm likelihood and the informing and
moving power must go cut. 1t is well argued in the
repottof last year TO wh CHI your committee have so
often REFERRED that without some standard of educa-
ton higher than that of scboots
dard canno, be raised !; and il might be added that,
without more energetic spirit Of learning than thew
enbody that spirit como, he elevated or even kept
alive them all. The facts that have been odduced
from the Connecticut and Massachusetts reports SHOW
nbnndantly how necessary it is to keep the highest in
tellcctua culture in close contact with common
schools. Whenever the intercourse between the two
h's been much interrupted bv the establishment Of
private schools, the common schools have lost their
interest and their life and have failed furnish even
to those who attend them, half their wonted benefits
1t is charac erisilc of modern civilization, that, by
means OF the press and educational system the result
OF the rnlgh;iest intellectual energies and all the light
Of purity and honor that beam forth from the noblest
and the best. become almost at once the property and
are made to contribute to the well-beng otthe hum
best citizen 1t s the business of the legislature so
lar as IN It's legitimate sphere 1t touches the subject,
to foster this blessed nercommunicaon To make
II perfect the whole educational system must be cared
for. 1t is only while the system remains entire and
duly cherished in all its parts alike that the sap OF
life flows freely, and the development i. every where
vigorous and beautiful. The arrangement ought STU
dously to bo made such as to secure for common
schools the greatest possb BILE influence from the higher
semnaries. This was well argued by the committee
last year from facts noticeable among ourselves. II
is every where that when the higher sen,naries
sustain their proper relation to cominnl schools the
influence is snluiary in the highest degree. But when
false and abnorn0us relations exist between the two
when they no longer constitute parts of one system
the result is disastrous, schools, academies, and
colleges" says the President OF the American Insti.
,ute of Instruction, SHOULD form distinc, parts oil
the same system" IF the academies are brough,
into compctuon as il were, with the schools the in
fence of the academies has been found 10 he atogetli-
err bad ; because they draw from the common schools
the children OF those whose influence every thing
Them" "If, OH the other hand, academies are KEEP,
within their legitimate sphere-if they admit only
those who have gone through common school
coursc,-then the effect of academies on the schools
will be good. Such an academy IN the nciehborhosd
of common schoo will evate the standard of edu-
cation in that school" This would be the natural re-
snlt of the mere uxaposi,ion OF the wo-Thc sYiri,
Of the higher would pervade, more less the lower
How much stronger and more happy might the IN
tnence he made, by establishing lily between them
the relations that they ought TO sustain parts OF
system!
Of the immense work TO be done for perfecng com
mon schools in nll their arrangements and details,
they wod keep no less distinctly IN view the men $
of lnfisng into these arrangements and details prop
awakened and kept up for time, by contnng ntten-
ton and effort to common schools themselves But
legislative action should he guided by regard TO
permanent influences and results. And therefore it
il, that while the cxauples Of sister S,no, ought
to fix our attention and may well guide VA in
many respects, your committee have deemed duty
referring to those examples, 10 show wherein the
seem t, he imperfect if not dangerous guides.
As the first practical measure, therefore. To he adon-
ted for carving into effect the views Of the Lenisa
turc, your committee would recommend the appoint
mcnt Of Board of Educaton, charged with he con-
sidernon Of the whole subject; with authority to
employ secretary; and WI instructions, as q frs,
dutv tonves,igate and report upon the state of cdu
cation among in al! is departments the amount OF
money sources and con ition of all funds devoted
il. And further that 10 facilitate the labors Of this
board proqer measures be taken procure for their
use by legislative authority, adequate returns from
teachers and school committees.
With IS respectmlly submitted
Fo- thecomm'ee, +. c. TRACY, Chairman.
Montpelier, Oct y, 1872