The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-03-22
MISCELLANEOUS.
From the Burlington Free Press,
EDUCATIONAL CONVENTION.

A State Convention Of the friends of educa
ton was held at Middlebury, on the 18th an
Oath of January, by which The various interest
of Education were taken under consideration
and inquiries instituted into existing defect
and the means of their removal. The tim
allotted being insufficient TO accomplish the OBJ
jects proposed, the convention adjourned t.
meet at Burlington on the last Tuesday il
February, 1912.
According to adjournment the Convention
met in Burlington on Tuesday the Odd of Feb
His Excelency Governor Paine, was called t,
the chair, Geo. B. Shaw was appointed Sec
rotary, and John X. Converse, assistant Sec
rotary.
The Convention was addressed by Prof. Geo
W. Benedict in relation to the legislation Of
this state on the subject of Education.
Prof Benedict said that in Vermont there
had been but little legislation on this subject
that the Legislature had chartered several Col.
lcges and Academies, but had assumed no re
sponsibiIity except in relation to common
schools; and that even for these, there was
nothing in the Statute Book to lead us to sup
pose that the Legislature intended TO have any
other care than merely to prescribe the mode
of organizing school districts and provide, in
part, funds for supporting the school, that
whether the schools lived or died, or whether
the districts were faithful or not in the expen-
diture of the public money, was a matter in re.
spect to which the Legislature took no respon.
sibi!itv. MIR b proceeded 10 show by reference
to facts that the interests of primary education
were suffering very seriously for the want of
some system of state supervision that the
principle on which the public money is now
drawn, operates, TOO often, as bounty on in
activity, and is not las it ought to beg a stimu-
lus to induce people to get their children into
the school that Of Il hundred scholars on
whom money is drawn, forty not unfreqently
get the whole benefit. He also adduced facts
showing that the power of taxation under the
present law (Scc. 49, may be so used as to
shut out the children of the very poor from our
schools altogether. Mir. B. commented upon
the policy of the Legislature in borrowing and
nppropriating the School Fund, and also upon
the manner of disposng of that portion of the
US. Deposit, which fell TO this State.
Rev. Mr.. Peck of Poultney then delivered
an address explaining the system OF common
schools in the state of \. Y.
Mr. Peck said, that in New York the COL
1eges, Academies and Common Schools, we're
all parts of one great and harmonious system
under the supervision of board of2l Regents.
They have school fund, amounting TO about
1880, 900, the proceeds of which are distrlb-
uted to the schools according TO the number of
scholars from 5 to Is years of age. The bal.
ance of the requisite sum to sustain them is
assessed upon the scholar according to the at
tendance of each. Each District, in order to
receive It's portion of the public money, must
have maintained school taught BY an inspec-
ted teacher, at least for the term of three
months. N York not only bestows direct
and liberal patronage upon all her schools: She
also assumes a responsible supervision over
them; the Legislature not only provides the
funds. but takes special care that these funds
be faithfully and pro6taoly applied. In order
to do this,a general superintendent OF schools Is
appointed who devotes his whole time. He is
aided by an assistant superintendent In each
county, making 60 in all. These assistants
nre paid salary of $500 each,-so that the
state paws yearly the sum of 100000 to mere
officers of examination and inspection. By
these officers, directly or indirectly, all teach
ers are examined. By them also all things
else are done tending to the well being of the
BCnoOIS. n particular lCpoii 10 'ouN ~ INV
superintendent of the condition of every school
in the State. These reports are combined into
a general report which is printed and laid upon
the table of every legislator, and upon that of
every judicial or executive officer of the state.
In n. York the academies are the nurseries
for training teachers, and are patronized by
the state with special reference to this end.
At the opening of the meeting in the after
noon tbe convention was addressed in an in
teresting and able manner by Mr.. Calvin Pease
of Montpelier, ''upon the prevail ng system OF
Academical education" 1t would be difficult
to do Justice to the address of Mr.. Pease, by
attempting analysis.
President Wheeler next addressed the con-
vention upon the system of Education IN Mass.
Mr.. Wheeler said, that the systems of Educa.
ton in N. England and New York originated
in Mass. that it was there we must look for
the germ and principle of them all The sys-
TEN of Mass. did not spring from the feeling
of ignorance ;--it was commenced by men OF
the widest education, whose minds had been
disciplined in the best institutions of the old
world by men, such as never existed in the
commencement of any other nation. They
were men who united the highest learning with
the pioty and zeal of martyrs. In about fifteen
wears after landing at Plymouth, these men