Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-06-06

70
giving proper direction to public sentiment on
IBIS important subject. Among others was re-
eated % procure authentic information respect
~ school-aws Ofthe free States and es-
psHially Of New England, and to publish such
information - widely as possible through the
newspapers The object of this course was to
ahow, how far Vermont, which had once stood
foremost in regard to common-school education,
had now fallen into the rear, and thus to HFoves
he necessity of immediats legislative acfi5n, II
We would have our youth stand even on ali equal
footing with their competitors for independence,
Influence, and usefulness have performed the
Hrst part Of the required duty. have opened a
correspondence with official characters and 9TH
ers, in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and O.
hio, all Of whom have kindly and promptly COM
piled with the request of the convention, some by
furnishing me with their school-laws in PAM
phlet form; others by procuring and forwarding
transcripts from their Revised Statutes.
1t was my intention to have laid the nforma-
ton before the public in the ,0ords of the Stat
utes ofthe respective States But, by arranging
it in this form, the length of the article was so
great as to interpose serious obstacle both to
readers and printers. | therefore determined
merelyto present the substance ofthe information
through the newspapers, and to conine myself
for the present to the important points of, |.
Examination of Teachers; 1. Superintendent
and Regulation of Schools; Ill. Uniformity in
Books, by Selection of the Profitable and an
Exclusion of the Improbable or Hurtful shall
be happy to afford an opportunity, to such gen.
tlemcn as may desire it, to examine more minute
ly the statutes which | have collected, in a tour
which shall shortly take through the principal
towns of the State
I. Examination Of Teachers No teacher, in
any Of the States enumerated, is allow ed to COM
mence public school, until he or she has ex-
hibited satisfactory evidence, to the proper COM
mite, of good moral character, and undergone
a strict examination, as well as to ability to teach,
as to literary qualifications In some of the states,
the act Of commencing to teach without certif-
cate from the committee is made penal offence
In several states, the certificate may at any time
be withdrawn, should the school prove unprohta-
bic. Every where preliminary examination is
Indispensable excepting in
VERMONT t0here no examination of teach
ers whateuer is provided for by law, and where,
with few exceptions, such thing is never even
dreamt of.
H. Visitation, Superintendence, and RegS-
lation Of the Schools. In all the enumerated
States a more or less strict and frequent vista
ton, superintendent, and regulation of the
schools is required by law. In New Hampshire
alone there is seeming exception to this rule
There, any town, assembled in town meeting
may vote to dispense with the services of the
Superentending School committee so far as relate,
to the examination and inspection Of schools. "
But the value Of such examination has been toe
strongly felt throughout the state to allow to such
an exception more than nominal importance
Unfortunately, however, the cases in which town!
haze ayailed themselves of the nuifying clause
are precisely those in which it is most injurious
to their true interests. For it may generally b.
taken as a rule, that strict superintendent il
valued by the community in direct ratio to thu
efficiency Of the schools But, while all the
States around have been thus careful of the vita
interest of their youth, how is it with usl
In VERMONT, the law makes no proUisiO'
Whatever for these important points, and, with
very few exceptions, there is no such thing know
here as examination or superintendent o
schools.
III. Uniformity Of BOoksISslection Of tn
Profitable, Exclusion Of tie Improbable 0
HurtfuI In Ohio and New York, the statute
aIsn thA d,tv sc 4 o 20 Iof
mine and recommend the school books best adapt
ed for the course of studies. In Maine NeN
Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, an
Connecticut, the law crjOins the committee to d
rect what books shall be used.
. VERMONT here again stands alone. He
law neither commands nor authorizes either d
rection or recommendation. The consequence
is Babel-like confusion of books; good, ba'
and Indifferent Unfortunately mingled in a
most every school, bidding defiance to classi6c
ton, order, or method. In school visite
during the past winter, owing to the diversity
books most ofwhich, though good in themselve
were wholly unsuited to the capacity of the chill
the largest readng-class consisted oftwO childre
And thus the time, both Of instructor and pupil
was completely FILTERED away. In such sit
alton, the best teacher would be powerless.
In all the States enumerated, the importa
duties Of which have spoken deVolve on a col
mittee distinct from that which selects the teac
er and manages the prudential matters of t
school. The latter committee furnishes t
wherewithal; the former sees that it is careful
and prohtably used. The latter provides a teac
err; but he cannot stir step till he has exhibit
bis proficiency, and given evidence of his moi
character to the former In the New Engla
States, the power Of the superintendants is &C
fined to the tOsOns by which they are appcnt
In NAwY otk and Ohio, there are county as W
as tosOn superintendent, an Arrangement fou
tobe highly profitable, since it has power
tendency to bring all the schools under the