Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-03-24

pupils were industrious aud we'll disposed.
1t can hardly bc expected, that whore the
Teacher is not permanently employed. that
discipline and system could be- maintained
which are 50 dcsirablc--so essential to per-
fiction anywhere and your Committee would
urge upon the consideration oiall the Districts
the avoidance Of multiplicity of Teachers,
Ms far as possible. Employ the sam" teacher
50 long as he proves faithful. and will consent
to stay. In those districts where teachers b
have been retained for successive terms the :
schools appear much TO the hest advantage,
and show, in every regard, n marked superb .
GRITTY to other schools where changes have
been frequent.
School IIou.es.
The school houses did not. IN every respect,
present that appearance OF nratucss and MT
ness for their purpose which it Is gratifying
to see. Your Committee can but express the
opinion that with but one ar two exceptions,
the rooms are too small, and wear an aspect
Of neglect, not on part of tho teacher or
scholars, but Of the district. y coat or two
of paint and whitcwash, or few rolls of pat
per hanging would do much towards making
them more clcanly. pleasant, and attractive.
Our outward surrpuudings have an influence
on our characters.
! The school room of District No. II merits
particular notice. Let bit of experience
tell the story. On our last visit, as we opened
the door, we were most unccremouiously
driven back by something stranger than an
arm Of flesh An iron barrier would not more
completely have arrested our entrancc-and
it was not till the door had stood open for
some minutes, and the windows dropped,
that we recovered from the nausea with which
we were seized. Tho air was poisonously Of
fensive.
1t is well known that this room was once a
store , and man Of common stature, rails
ing his arm perpcudicularly, can almost
touch the ceiling. Hence to open the win
dows for the admission of pure air is to ex-
pose the children to a strong and chilling
draught, and no other means OF ventilation
are available. Shut up rs the room was, in
the midst of this heated miasna, some of the
young misses, in remote parts of the room
sat with their shawls on. Observe further
out of this main room you pass into another
by deep step, where the primary depart
incnt is taught Here in room, by actua
measurement only 20 feet by 10, arc gathered
together on a daily average, nearly 90 littl,
children More than enough for room d
dozen times it size. In Imagination, sea-
J these children around the room, aud put
hot stove in the middle of them, and. thcr
Judge whether it he the place to make echul
ars in, or idiots.
It was with reference, doubtless, to tn
crowded state Of these schools, and the un
fitness Of the rooms they occupy. that the re
cent division of this district into two Wit
was deemed necessary and We may expect i
| the course of another year to see two fin
buildings erectrd-onc in each district, whic
shall do as much honor to the intelligence an
liberality Of that section Of our town, as tn
present building does not.
The rooms, also, of Districts 10 and |.
occupied by the primary departments, are b
r no means proportional in their dimensions t
the number of children gathered within then
The sound mind in sound body" ca
hardly be secured in such rooms. The inir
rious effect Of small oyer-heatcd rooms ; civ
ing colds and producing congestion of bloc
to the head demands the attention ofalmO,
every school district in the town of Burlin,
ton. If the school rooms were provided wit
thermometers, it would aid the teacher to re-
u late the heat, and keep more equablc ten
pcrature.
Your Committee see no reason why OF
n school houses may not be constructed with
K second story thus avoiding the nngainly SlgI
Of low, long building, and atioTdlng large
rooms. at less expense. The sky is chcapt
than land, and the sumo roof that covers OF
room, mlch, cover two. The peril Of a stat
> case need not be great, if the staircase be pr
pcry construc,ci-at gentle incIInltion, all
with low steps.
Examination of Teachers.
The oup-i tru,lvuts " 10Th to draw attcntiu
) to the fact, that the candidates for teaching d
not present themselves for examination and !
cense, until they h I'VE already commenced the
schools. One after another, they drop IN upo
some one of the Committee, and ask for ex,u
81, al.
is essential to their being legally paid the
v wages-durlng the past year, in only a ver
few cases before the term had begun; in yer
many ca SEES almost at the close of the term.
1 Now, II 1t be the duty ofthe superintendent
n to examine and qualify teachers according
h the statute, it would seem, that the DistrlC
Committee ought not to close any contract Wi
A applicants for their schools, until they hay
been examined. In more than one instance
the Examining Committee have found tina, sue
a previous examination would have compelle
them to withhold certificates which they CAV
not without some twlnges OF conscience ; b,
cause to interrupt school IN the middle
h the term and make change of te 'chers, seen
ed to them greater evil than poor instructlo
u for few weeks longer.
Your Superlntendents arc convinced Thu
= our schools suffer from this neglect OF duty
Teachers should be examined and examine
al'"'u'ly. I IL az "u "
.cd F" eo""ee''o" "''" "N s''"' 'u"'' " 'u"''
non'
0 Keeping REGISTERS.
! Furthermore, the Superntendents would urc
D the Importance of requiring our teachers
= keep faithful and minute records of the schoo
( the number who attend. names and ares. al
sences, tar1inesses, rank, &c.
Such registration would have a rood efI;,,
. upon both teacher and pupil, securing ord,
= and method. and would furnish valuable Stair
tics. And from these records. the teache
should be OBLIGED to make a repor, to the s,
perIntc6den,s. or better. perhaps to the Distr
COMMITTEES of their respective school. Mt III
and If zach term.
=, This subject has remarkably been forced NJ