The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-05-24
COMMON SCHOOLS.

Mr. CuNnwt,N iwish, through your pa
nor. 10 say icw words on the subject of
common uhoolL The time Inns arrived when
our summer 81 hooig arc beginning 10 open
Tor the season. aud every person, who desires
tho good OF bis children, or the intellectual
aud mnril cIc'aVon or ms country cannot
but WISH ttCm U1U7rCdi IN JtJ0 t-7-7r I'777Itir
manner for the promotion of these olgrcs
And cyrry pnrpUt must, as least, sometimes
realize hi. Obligation % seek tht welfare ct
his children; for this obligation is too plain
10 be- mistaken. But the best manner Of dis
1Ii5TFiTilf n zTJTt- zsr7U7UTtrEt ~ ivwfTvIuUv
n,rcnts Eel this, and the wisost Legislators
have long felt it and hnvc-cudtayorrd to en-
act laws Ia direct how To discharge this obli-
cation and cuioin To- fulfllmcnt They have
i7f7TS5i 10 riIrT TrrT7t71r1Tr ttiy5rrt-ir;tt
thav-yhoujd hr urrri where the Tropir -huvr
sccoudcd our rulers, the Improvement OF our
school. has been manifest. But in respect to
the present school laws of our state, they have
boon charged with having failed To accom-
plish the object designed. IN some places
people have loudly complained that the
schools are not So good as thoy were Before
the enactment of the present laws, and that
thcrc is more trouble in them than formerly.
That such may have been Jiic facts tn Forde
eases | have no doubt, but that they are to,bc
charged 10y the opcraton-ot the law is MOI
true; for as a general thing 80 far rs Iocan
learn, the Improvement has corrcspondcd IN
a rood degree with the observance of the law;
but during the past year some towns appoint
cd Superntendents and voted that they
should do nothing others voted 10 pay them
so small a sum that unless they were dispos-
ed to give their labor, they could do but little
moro than examine the teachers it is true
that voting mt the superintendent should
1 4 y,ttpn Ia a. l,nfh Il
lcgal votes, and of.coursc null and void yet
whore such votes were passed. believe they
were obcycd. Many districts in towns where
the law was not voted down did what they
could TO make il useless. They hired teach
crs and agreed to sec them paid without be-
inc examined. In many schools there was
an entire refusal to furnish themselves with
the books recommended 10y the Supcrinton-
dents Such being the course pursued by
many of the people, itnppcars that they have
no right to complain of the law, not having
triyen it trial. In some places whore there
was an intention to observe the law, there
have been some failures, and this was to be
expected. for frequently teacher will pass a
GOOD examination in the branches he is re-
CURED TO teach, give evidence of good NOR
al character and receive license to teach
school, and yet will fail in the. management
of the school. In other. cases the irregular
attendance of tho scholars has made the
school unprolitahlc. The law is not, in my
opinion, perfect, but ! think it an improve
ment on former laws, and think ms far as |
have the means of knowing, schools have inn
proved IN Il TuUaE1rg corresponding 10 the o.
hcdiencs of the law. Very few, &c any dis
tricts have fully adopted all that the law rec
ommends, but ! hope that it will bc general
I " observed the season now commencing Tor
every good citizen will bc subject to the pow
crs that be, whom conscience is not outraged,
and our school law hurts no mans conscience;
IT appears therefore to be the duty of the
people to give it fair trial till such time ms n
change eau legally hc procured for the better.
But no law can Of itself bring about that I'M
provemcnt in our common schools which the
existing state of things in our country acni-
ally Demands, unless tho people ara eareinl To
have it carried ont in NIL it's bearings, and at
so do much which lies beyond the law; for,to
adopt the language of recent EDUCATIONAL
committee in the State of N. Y
Tho best system Of instruction that wisdom
codld devise, the highest qualification, which