The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-12-08

Next Monday morning nearly one hundred
thousand children will assemble in the twen-
ty-eight hundred school houses of Vermont,
most OF them for the first time in the season
These scholars number nearly one-third of
the entire population Of the State, and are
educated at an annual expense of not less
than two hundred thousand dollars. A tri-
fIe more tan one-fourth of this sum is de-
rived from the income Of the United States
deposit money, Zone half being applied to
the purposes Of education, and the remain
der is mostly raised by district taxes.
The first morning OF the term always pre-
sents scene full of interest. The school
houses are overfowing with happy, rudy
faces. Almost as soon as it is light, the schol-
ars come tumbling in over the old whitfield
desks. in their eagerness to greet each other,
and to see what the new school master is
like. Cproarious and rough, the bows are
bandying each others caps about, and ex-
pressing their merriment in all kinds of boy
ish tricks. Quieter, but full Of fun, the girls
are laughing and chatting. for the vacation
was long, ard there are SO many things to
tell. But the step Of the schoolma>ter is
heard, the children take their places, and the
work begins.
Is there one man in hundred who knows
how this work is carried on? Ninety nine
men out cf every hundred in the State know
scarcely anything of the places where these
one hundred thousand chillrcn spend f,on,
onr-haif TO three -fOurths of the year Who
can tell to what purpose these two hundred
thousand dollars are spent? What into-ma-
ton have the people about the condition of
the school houses, about the qualification and
success of the teachers employed, in regard
70 the fitness Of the books used, in regard to
the attendance and interest of the scholars
or, in fact, upon any of the various points
! Which ii concerns them most nearly to know:
Who interest themselves in these matters :
The committee hires the tem her, kind of
shanfy is provided to teach in, and that is al
These are matters which the people of
Vermont Lave Neglected too long. In COM
pa.ison with the n.i.hborir.c States. Vermont
has don" very little for Common Schools
New OK exprn!> Oh It's public Schools over
two and a half millions Of dollars M,,sachu-
sets las school iurd OF Sl.o2p.3>. Penn.
~.!'ania raises All annual school tax OF 81 :.
6i2,l'3. In thio the schoo! tax amounts 10
about Sl.2oo.opo Wisconsin has fund If
one million dollars and land Wilt II when
III. Nil lnrrc..,,. j: T. FIVE millions. Tc>a,
has established perm ,nrnt school fund Of
two million dollars. New Hampshire has Il,
school fund except a small tax upon the cap
i'ai stock Of banks, VIII is PAYABLE 20 tn.
towns IN proportion to their amount Of plli,
taxes. The total amount raised ,,r ii>.ri,.
schools in lNj2 lv taxation and otherwise
Was S!so.a2f; the number of .hool.. o..~i
attendance. e:.iso. tn" suoerinrcncc of
schools is very thorough Maine has a >rhor
fund Ct SIo4.o:''' ard Ter .,ta! school ,x,,n
>es IN 1851 we - :."oo
But IT, a::oInt Of none, raised in the ~
crai STATE, Is not the point of comparison.
Ii the money raised in Vermont were NOR,
.inlicion>'y exrcrdcd,our .v,'cm of education
would hc much NOR" perfect. Not lravirr
taxes. bnt better surrrvi>i"n is villa. Ia,
schools of Vermont imprrcu>'v dc,an!. -
Clearly. cur s~hop! system il not what III,
Interests OF cdn"a'i N rri1i-c. Various plan
have been proposed. and considerable. though
gwen to the subject of the Improvement Of
our Common hool> Much f,ult has been
foun. vii! tl.r L",i>, sure because il IN, no,
seen fit to 10 something. The real cause prob
al.v hes back Of the Legislature. in the in
difference with which the whole ,ropr re-
gard the Suiirct They either care notlinc
about the schools. except to keep clear of
them and pay as LIGHT \ TAX as possible. or
are not agreed upon ANYTHING which would
improve them. Discussion and the free in
tcrrhanc" Of opinion through the newsra-
rcrs. and in conventions. would prepare the
way for su h an Improvement in our Common
School system As would make it an honor 10
the State. and furnish the means TOR the com
plr'c education Of every child within it, Dor
dcrs