The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1845-06-05
70 the Friends Of Improvement In
Education throughout The State
OF Vermont.

AT late convention held in Middle
bury, to devise means for improving our
District Schools, various measures ere
adopted Tor arousing and giving proper
direction to public sentiment on this i'm
porlant subject. Among others | was
requested to procure authentic nforma
ton respecting the School laws Of the
free States, and especially of New Eng,
land, and to publish such information as
widely as possible through the newspa~
pers. The object of this course was to
show, how far Vermont, which had once
stood foremost in regard to common
school education, had now fallen into the
rear, and thus to prove the necessity of
immediate legislative action, five won d
have our youth stand even on an eqnat
footing with their competitors for indie
pendence, influence, and usefulness. |
have performed the first part of The re-
CURED duty. | have opened a cores
pondence with official characters and
others, in Maine, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, Rhode island Connect
cut, New York, and Ohio, all of whom
have kindly and promptly complied with
the request of the convention, some by
furnishing me with their school laws in
pamphlet form, others by procuring and
forwarding transcripts from their Revised
Statutes.
II was my intention to have laid the
information before the public IN The words
Of the Statutes of the respective States.
But by arranging ii in this form, the
length OF the article was so great as to
interpose serious obstacle both to rea.
ders and printers. | therefore deter
mined merely to present the substance
of the information through the newspa-
pers, and TO con6ne myself for the pres
ent to the important points Of !. Ex-
animation of Teachers; II. Superinten>
dence and Regulation of Schools Ill.
Uniformity in Books, by Selection of
the Profitable, and an Exclusion of the
Uupro6tabe or Hurliul, l shall be
happy to afford an opportunity, to such
gentlemen as may desire it, to examine
more minuely the statutes which have
collected, in tour which shall shortly
take through the principal towns of the
State.
l. Examination ofteachers. No teach
er in any Of the States enumerated,i is al
lowed to commence public school, I'm,
I'll he or she has exhibited satisfactory
evidence, to the proper committe, of
good moral character, and undergone
strict examination, as we'll as to ability
to teach, as to literary qualifications. -
In some of the States the act OF c0mmen>
chg TO teach without certificate from
The committee is made a penal ofence -
In several States, the certificate may at
any time be Withdrawn, should the school
prove Improbable. Every where a pre-
examination is indispensable,
excepting in
EERM ONT, mhere no examination
Of teachers achaterer, as prOridtd for
By Iaa0, and where, with few EXCEPTIONS.
such thlngis never even dreamed of.
ii. Visitation, Superintendent, and
Reg ul0tion Of The Schools. IN all the
enumerated States, more or less strict
and frequent visitation, superintendent,
and regulation of the schools is required
BY law. In New Hampshire alone there
8 seeming exception 10 this rule -
There any town, assembled IN town
meeting may vote to dispense with the
services of the experimenting School
commit ee, so far as relates to the exam
nation and inspection of Schools But
he value Of such examination has been
90 strongly felt throughout the State to
allow TO such an exception moro than
nominal import ance. Unfortunately,
however, the cases in which towns have
walled themselves olihe multiplying clause
ire precisely those in which it is most
INJURIOUS to their true interests. For il
nay generally be taken as rule, that
trct superintendent is valued by the
in direct ratio to the eff
iency ofthe schools. But, while all the
states around have been thus careful of
he vital interests Of their youth, how is
with us? ,
In VERMONT, tho law makes no
rOrisiOn w4atsoer for these important
onts, and, with very few exceptions,
here is no such thing known here as
Examination or superintendent Of I
chools. q
III. Uniformity of Books Selection Of
he Profitable, ErelusiOn of The UnproG
able or HurIaA In Ohio and New
1ork, the statutes make il the duty OF the t
nperintendents to determine and recon.
lend the school books best adapted for
&c course Of studies. In Maine, New
hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Isl t
md, and Connecticut, the law enjoins /
10 committee to direct what books shall .
G used.
VERMONT here again stands alone.
or law neiiher cnmm ands NOR ant b nri. D