The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1855-03-28
Education In Vermont.


| VARIETY AND DIFFERENCE OF PuBLic
OPINION WITH RESPECT TO THE KIND OF
LAW REQUISITE.
Mn EDIroR-Dear Sir. There seems
10 be strange variety of opinion, in the
state, with respect to the description Of
legal enactment, which will meet the ex.
igences of common school education. It
appears, that general conviction Of the
necessity Of some kind of legislation on
the subject extensively prevails, and yet
there is singular disagreement among
the friends of education, on the question
what that legislation shall be. This is
no new state Of things. In lS45, law
was enacted, authorizing the annual O.
lection of state and county superint end
ents. In ls49, before time had been
given the law to show what it could do,
so much Of the act of ls45, as related
to county supefintendents was repealed,
aud that part Of the system was abolish
ed. Since Oct. ls47, owing to the pre-.
vailing prejudice against the state super.
intendcnt "a very unjust prcjudcc,as any
man may see by an examination of
the annual reports OF that officer,
which bear testimony to his fidelity
and great usefulness) the Legislature has
appointed no state superintendent, though
tho law Of the state required it. There
is therefore now no state or county su.
perintendent, and but very limited
town superintcndency, and in a large
part Of the state none at all. During
the current year, the 100000 annually
spent on common schools, will be ex-
pended with very little supervision and
i'll no small part Of the state without any.
At the session Of Oct. 1853 q bill
passed to third reading, and was sus.
tanned by s5 votes in the House, as I
. have been informed, of course supported
BY the friends of education, authorizing
the appointment Of county superintend.
cnts in each county and repeating SO
much of the act of lS45 as related to
state and town. The passage of this
superintendent's bill into law would
have been a very serious evil
lst. Because it was in the main only
the old county system, which was so Of.
fensive to the people, that it was abolish
ed in ls49. With this difference, the
county superintendents were called q
Board Of Education, and we're to elect 8
secretary to make report, but they
were not required to act in concert, or
even to meet together once a year. I'd,
The annual expenditure for such a pur.
pose, as would doubtless have secured
the repeal of the act at on early day.
Sd, This bill contemplated the annibila.
Of town superintcndents, without which
common schools never have fourished
and nevcf can flourish. Therefore this
Board Of town superintcndcnts exists in
some form and under some name in every
state in the Union, where there is any.
thing liks advancement in common school
education.
We come now to tho bills introduced
into the House and Senate besides those
introduced by the committee on educa.
tion, du:ing the last session, aud the
various petitions referred to the commit.
teo. These documents and petitions arc
particularly noticed as oxponents of the
diversity of public sentiment upon the
subject to which they relate. They show
wish for legislative enactment, but
they differ widely as to what that action
shall be. One bill introduced into the
Assembly, was only modification Of tho
bill referred to above, presented in 1858.
1t provides for the appointment Of coun,
ty superintcndents. The salary Of tho
county superintendents was the same as
in the bill Of 1858.
1t wa, an improvement upon the bill
Of the previous year in this respect; half
Of the Board remained in Office two
years, which gave some permaneucy to
tho system, and thus received the benefit
of experience and Of acquired informa.
ton But it had one very Objectionable
feature, that of electing the Board in
joint assembly, thus mixing education
with politics and leaving the election of
a very important Office to the oontingen.
cies of mere favoritism, or party predi.
lection. A bill which came into the
House from the Senate, having only been
received to be printed, provided for the
establishment of Board of Education,
little nearer what may be found the
best system and yet it is skeleton with
out a soul, or a trunk with but few
branches 1t is apprehended, that no
sensible man, who understands the sub.
| jcct could entertain it after due examiu.
alton. 1t provided for the election of a
Board of Education. to consist Of one
from each county, elected By popular rots
at the annual March meeting, certainly a
very Objectionable feature. The Board
| was To meet at Montpelier in April, or