The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-10-18
Xnrmont Academies.

4
will, during its present session, adopt
some efficient measures for advancing
the educational interests of the State.
What will be done, if anything, is at
present a matter of conjecture. 1t. is
proposed, in various quarters, that Board
of Education should be appointed to su.
perintend the Common Schools and
that, we are inclined to think, is the
measure, which has the faircst prospect
of success. The value of such Board
must, Of course. depend on the men who
constitute it, and the powers conferred
on them. For ourselves we regret that
there seems to be no expectation that
such Board will have any powers in
reference to Academies and Seminarics.
and, in short, that there is no distinct re-
cognition among us Of the fact, that the
State has any duty to discharge towards
these Institutions, other than to give
tHcih icSai pTotcctlou.
We shall heartily rejoice in all thai,
the Legislature may wisely do to elevate
the character and increase the efficiency
of Common Schools but we are firmly
persuaded that any system Of State super.
vision, which ,iisrcgards that entire class
of schools in which alone teachers can
be successfully trained, must have only
very limited success.
The first requisite for good schools is.
that they should have competent. well.
trained Teachers aud any amount of
money expended by the State if it fails
to secure such teachers. must fail radi
cally aid be almost wholly thrown away
Every system Of education must reach its
final application through the teachers of
the State and the qurstson Of primary
Importance for the Legislature, there
fore. is. her most cGcctnady 10 sccurc a
sufficient mmmtcr of competent teachers
for tie Common Schools.
Many persons suppose that an increase
Of wages will attract such teachers. and |
that 10y Teachers Institutes. even of an
cphcnefal auc migratory charactergocd
schoolnustcrs can ho "ga; up' at short
noiicc,an thoroughly equipped for heir
difficult aud responsible position Tfa.l
experience, as well as common sense did
not demonstrate the futili,y of expccta.
ticns resting on such grounds, it might
he worth while to show it by detailed
statement Of facts ana principles. AS
it is, it will be enough to suggest that in
order that high wages may draw good
teachers, they must frs, be prepared and
that temporary gatherings, which at.
tempt to do in week or two what can
only be accomplished BY the patient and
laborious training Of years arc not mere.
ly farce, but positive and gross nuts.
ance.
Teaching is the very last occupation
that can be uscfully aud successfully pur.
sued, with hasty and narrow preparation
1t requires discipline, reflection, liberal
culture, manly selfreliance and these
are Of slow growth 1t is obvious that
protractcd course of preparation is in
dispeusable, and that for this there can
be NO substitute. In general, such a
course Of study aud discipline, as is need
full, must be sought, if sought at all, in
our Academies, and it becomes, there.
forc, specially important thpt these lnsti
tu,ions should be prepared to do their
work we'll Unfortunately they are not
generally so prepared, however compe
tent the teachers may be, who conduct
them. A radical defect in nearly all OF
them is, that they have 10 permaucpcc,
and are not able to command, without
frequent changes, the services of accom-
pliShed scholars. They are usually com
mittcd to young gentlemen, who teach
temporarily on their way to profession,
or to men of maturer years, who have
devoted the prime Of their lives and
the freshness Of their scholarship to 9th.
err employmcnts Having no endow-
monts, it is generally deemed necessary
to put ,Lom on the same basis as man
ufacturing or other business establish
mont, the teachers looking solely to the
income from tuition for their compensa-
ton, and having full license to make
money, if they eau. Teaching is thus
converted into pecuniary speculation.
and the problem, which the Principal
general finds it necessary to solve not
how he may most cffectually train aud
cultivate bis Pupils, but how he can man.
age to get the maximum of income, with
the minimum of expense. And let it
not be supposed that it is unnecessary
for him thus to exalt the pecunary mo.
tive, it is with him matter of imper.
alive necessity. Tho income from tut.
ton in the best schools in the country is
wholly inadequate to their support, and
such of them as permanently maintain n
high character for scholarship, efficient
discipline, and freedom from pretensc