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

lIilnU IS deemed TO nave Utcl unhappy. GpT nclfl
: half n century prior 10 1888 the statute book ha
, shown little evidence of attention 10 this imnona
interest, on the part of the Legislature; and, us
general fact tho districts and the people had bce
tcGun yne.igcnt OF their trust. The system had ~
energy, and lhere was no Improvement, As to su
I, pcryison and ndcounln,hty, II seems 10 have beC
very much inthe condition of our own. Anon, In
. results was the withdrawal from the common sell 1ol
OF inc cHidron and the care OF very many OF III
most worthy and intelligent citizens and the cxnan
dlture Of Immense sums Tor private tution in conmD
. school studlcs-a Startling proof, when the eye YEA
once fixed upon IT. that the system, with all It's ric
/ cndowmens, was very far from answering i,s legiii
mate purposes.
In 1897 resolution was introduced into the toais
azure ana carried, providing for returns from all tp
common schools in the State In consequence, an,
win Inc aid OF individuals interested in the objec,
returns were obtained and brought before the Lewis
atnrc at It's next session, OF such amount and char
acter ns led that body with great unanilnity ct,
proviie Tor the better supervision OF common schools
ny hrinPng Their condition at all times before parents
ana local school officers III the register TO be kept b,
the teacher, and annually before the school societies
~ the reports of school visers, and before tn,
Legislature and the State in the report Of board o
coniinissIonels organized 10 supcrinend the who'll,
matter. The leading object was to collect and dis
set,pnatc information in regard to existing der,cu
ani- desirable improvements as the only basis q
sound legislative local or individual action on III,
subject. Inc board OF commissioners thus establish
90 were authorized to employ secretary. THROUGH
"aose agency the requisite information might be OBJ
tanned and the work Of Improvement commenced
and carried on. The services of very lnteliren,
ana able secretary were secured, and the work has
been prosecuted with great energy and success f,r
four years. The report of 1912 gives general view
OF the results. Among them we notice,
l. l. Inc obtaining, II an authentic form, Of accurate
Information respecting the practical working of the
common school system throughout the State. show
my lis exce,cncios, its inpcrlections and its capa-
hIitlns, and constituting safe basis on which Ia
found measures for Improvement. This information
has been di.iuscd among the people in various WAYS
50 rs TO be made available for the benefit Of every
| town and every school
2. The obtaining and diiThsing in like manner, Of
vast amount of similar Information, respecting the
| schools, school systems, and progress of popular
education, IN other Satcs and cjuntrics information
aboundng IN examples Suggestions, and excellence !
wei! adapted to give impulse and direction to h.
sprit Of improvement.
! The creating of a demand in the public mind for
higher qualifications IN teachers, which has led to the
establishment Of profrssorshp in one of the cole.
eos, and 10 arrangements IN many of the academies
for courses 0! instruction especially adapted 10 sch
IA wish 10 become common school teachers. The
course OF improvement IN this respects evidently bu,
Just began.
4. The improvement of school houses. "NIorc
lAan ne-tenlhs of all the district school houses
erected PRIOR TO 1888" says the Secretary, "and
which have not been since renovated are incomplete
and iororn spccHnc1s at best, of what such siruc.
nros should be. They stand in, or directly on, the
public highway, and not unrcquentlv in bleak and
onnrn,ri,,e om.bij;nrs ibo' Guy p,"y H"n,,u VI
,jIbolt. and small inr,,yc,; ~ n'',
within Thcv nre i,,,srf rio s,n LII, ''o
means If v,ni.latio, nm ;cr,,, n, ''o
7la 50 liohcd Tim, tho cvo sirh, Of IL '.et
unffconeotIv enJunrcrcdbv Tho o,rn or 10 Nv,
his attention ,jsiraricd Lv evorv n,ssr, oic,
seats nro nynrioblv lon biyi. md 10 Sanor, NC
ranrrncnt and construction nf ,ho ,a IT, i, a.
are n IT calculated TO promote the LeoI,b co,,f,r,
successful labor of the nnnils or r,nyor;a .,,u
vision bv the teacher Rn, h,l ne ,,,n, ar 49,
were oriGnallv they ore ranlsrcd yors h. y, ~
pronrr car. and timely and nacsss,r, ro;, "'"' -
most every old school hanqs which ,,p ,;, i;
h7r:,l and disiitrraI and in n,, , f,,,, ;,s,,,,
Saf,c,l hy l,uDrouer nrorlnr or Iiccn,;os ,,
" l.r.,.,Nv IN winter thr cliid,en nr o,r -,
s,.1as are oLtocd n breathe n, in,n,ro s,,,,,
AMI oppressive a,mosphcrc the cr,ct Of wb,ch ca
be seen atany time AFTER the school hos h.o, ~ S"
vice an hour and especially in the ortnrnoon j., ,ho
pale and wcarei conntennnces The l,nnnor ,nd NM
en- sness of body and mind osncciay in Tho
children; and in the eyhanstio, ond ;rr;,,;l;,r7 ~,
the teacher The evil consequences Of n.oec, IN ,h;
particular often extend beyond ,ho sch,GI rn,
TIE seeds Of disease esncc,nv nf ,,,;i =
not sown in such nm a,mosnbrrc nrc r',;I "
cned and acyeloped in the jnnre Of e,rb @
! stitnona'ly eyD3sei 10 puiinonary c,,,,i;.,,s
In more th1, s,ypr.n;nL,bs of h,,.aIi
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