Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1850-03-15
HsCpOl.t
Of Yown Superintendent Of Public Schools
far he gear ending March, 1850.

As another year closes, the Superintendent !
Of Public Schools beg leave to submit TO their
fellow citizens the following as their Annual
Report -
In their last Report your Superintendent
took the liberty to name some radical defects in
the existing arrangements with reference to our
Schools, and also to suggest certain desirable
changes. The last has been, in some respects
year of progress. 1t affords us pleasure to
say, that the suggestions of our last Report
were we'll received, and by the earnest co.ope-
ration of few competent persons, some of the
leading suggestions of that Report are already |
undergoing the ordeal of a practical expert
ment
, 1t will be rccoec,ed, that we urged tho i'm
portancc of organising our village schools on
the principle OF graduation. During the past
winter five of our village districts, WIZ 10, IL,
10, Ii and Is have united to support High
e School, for the common adva ntage of all the in
habants of the several districts constituting the
c Union. The Trustees Of the late Burlington
! High School generously prof,rcd to the Union
District the use of their building College ST.,
;, !. for the purpose Of their High School. On the
18th of February the Burlington Union High
/" School GAY commenced under favorable auspi-
If ces, and has now connected with it Is males
and 81 fcmalcs,-in all 7o-whho study in Sc
# parate rooms, but are classed together. Three
y. competent Teachers are earnestly engaged in
e imparting instruction. The range of studies
in comprehcnds the requisites for thorough Eng
le lsh education, and in the languages, besides
French, an ample preparation for college. The
instruction is designed to be thorough in the
true sense of the term, and such as shall best
secure the grand designs of an education.
" -Four of the districts constituting this Union
at already support, each within its own borders
ic two grades of schools-a primary and middle
g A short experiment convnces all minds of the
good economy ard practical utility of such d
visions and Of itself, in a very shert time, inc
vitably creates the necessity for the third grade
rk or high school.
to We have in town fifteen primary school dis
ia tricts In these districts are 70 schools, 306;
scholars returned Gan increase of - above tn
II returns Of 1918 l-lb ut Coz at school. Thes
ic' schools have cost the town. during 1919, SO,
the lei 81 more than ls!3. Collectively, tn
we public schools of Burlington are in an improv
We ing condition. Still there are serious evils ex
me sting which, we confidently hope will, ere long
DE be removed. The interest already awakene
ons oucour,ros tho cxncclo,ion of rood thinos I
ing GUY o"' wv "
come.
yen We need an improved order Of sehoo,-house:
: Al :, Of
'n ne greSs But amid all Improvements, is it NJ
the passing strange that our school house ediiicC
Ies, should so generally bear the marks Of furmt
ons age? Save in respect to these, the citizens
a.. Burlington cannot Be charged with any yer
by great want of either Architectural skill or tas
,crs Our private dwellings and public ediiiccs al
'naI rather the pride than the shame Of their projc
,nn tors, builders, owners and occupants. But VIII
any can be said of our schoohou,cs Some Of II
'"' buildings appropriated to school purposes
$3.50 town and village are commodion$, convehen
~ attractive and healthy. But the very best ha'
IT,. paIpablc defects. Why when the infinite CT
49, ator has poured around our globe an ocean
g. pure air, more than forty miles deep, shoul Y
incarcerate our children within low and mario
. walls, without any easy and safe means Of We
,. tiIation, and so compel them to breathe, ov
.ho and over again, air, whose vital parts are e
. hausted. Can they successfully prosecu
study under such circumstances Are we II
sowing the seed of disease aud premature dealt
We may, with far greater safety, deprive o
'dge children Of their accustomed food than comp
ANN them, as We often Do, to breathe impure a
e.. We have, even in our village achool-houst
Ivy whose external appearance is fnrbiddng a
'"'' whose internal arrangements but lily ada
lark, nj 70 ,ho rrroo,os ,to ara d,sirnoa ,o orsv,
'a'' IrrcguIarty of attendance i. a serious evil
our schools. There is no one element o! d
Va turbancc which at present produces more m
any chief than this. 1t greatly rctards the progr(
of scholars, deranges the order of the schoc
40 aud perpexes the teachers. May not pare
96 do much to remedy this evil We are 81
~ that did they appreciate the evils they are inl
ing upon their own sons and daughters, as "
a Zoe as upon the entire school. by encouraging /
"a "a evil, we should receive their hearty co,operat
in seeking its correction. The child that
a % habitually irregular in his attendance at schC
is sure to be a oitcrcr in every thing. lie IN
%eG Immediately fall, in every well regulated sch
a IS and society, as principle ofgravtation, amc
80 the class of druncs und ounces.
-, There have been few instances, where
a o75 ordinance of the State, requiring that ev
300 teacher in our l'utljc Schools, be examined
30 G.on,od o,,h yoar be faro cntorino his sch
a 325 ''No"''" o''" !'"''
by either the Town or County Superncudc
Is has been dsregardcd. The prudential conn
~ tee, having perhaps some special tavorite VT
70 he wishcG to insaie in the office of scoo tea
. a Is er ia his own district, and at the same time
- ing perfectly conscious, that. by reason of
, 90 competency ne c'"""t sp0"'U '"' 'f'''''
| a 20 censc, allows his friend to enter Tie SCI
n - u;,hout an ovamina,ion assurinu him that
) a 90 -, ,,.,
n Al salary snal De uuly pdlus