Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-10-31
Vermont Education.

We have received from the Secretary of the
of his first annual Report. From cursory ex-
animation only we are prepared to commend it
as production creditable in every respect to the
source from whence il emanates. Il abounds in
Just such information, statistics, facts, and sug-
gestioas, as are needed 10 inftise life and vitality
into our common school system. Its style is
characteristic Of the manly vigor and earncsiness
of the Secretary. 1t deals in realities such as
need to be fully understood by the mass of our
citizens; and it is their fault if they fail TO
comprehend the aims of the Secretary, and the
Board of Education whose accredited organ he
is.
From the Woodstock Standard we take the
following abstract Of the Report:
"On receiving formal instructions, on the 26th
Of January, from the Board, the Secretary en-
tered upon the discharge of his official duties
Early in February. he states he commenced a
general visitation of the State, and during that
month and the five following he visited forty-six
towns in the various counties of the State The
law requires that at least one Teachers institute
shall be held in each County annually in con-
nection with the schools in the State during their
Fall and Spring Terms The Secretary says
that it was impossible to comply with the re-
aui.ements of the law as to the Fall Institutes,
as the law itself was only approved November
1856, and the appointment of Secretary not made
until the latter part Of January, when the Fall
Terms of schools we're finished. Six Institute.
have, however, been held, as follows: Vergen.
mes, Rutland. Townshend. Windsor, Chelsea
O. I,hn 81, To-
on these Institutes was not as general thing
remarkably large, yet the hearty and practical
sympathy everywhere manifested promises well
for The future.
Statistical returns have been received from on
ly one hundred and thirty-six towns, being little
more than one-half of the towns of the State, and
upon the returns received the Secretary make,
an estimate for the entire State. The number
of districts in the State is represented to be 27I9
and the number Of districts without school houses
1O4. The cost of district schools is set down a
$297,Sl2, OF the condition of the school houe
es the report does not speak very favorably. |
says:
'The large proportion by far of Vermont Distrc
school houses, are inferior in every characteristic
of good school house, and very many can only b
described by the terms mean and miserable, AM
are wholly unworthy of a free people in prosperou
olt Of six has been, and will continue to be. re
ceived in district schools
Worthy mention is made Of the school house
located in Woodstock, 81. Johnsbury, Windsor
Rutland and Bellows Falls. The qualification
of Teachers the multiplicity of districts, the al
tendance on School apparatus, and the divers
tv of Text books are all ably discussed in th
Report The remarks of the Secretary in re
gard TO the great multiplication of districts ar
worthy of attention. 1t has exerted an evil il
Auence, he says, upon many Of the schools of III
State and the evil is one, against which rapi
increase Of population, or consolidation OF li,
tricts, would seem 10 afford the only adeauat
protection. The constant change of text book
is also producing much evil, and should be rem
died. The Secretary believes that if the Boar
of Education were empowered 10 appoint, ono
in three years, a committee of five, to whom III
selection of proper list of books for use in III
public schools could be entrusted, and whose r,
port when approved should be binding for thre
years -much of expense, confusion, loss of int
est in Schools, and good temper, would be save
The Report speaks favorably Of the Grade
and Union Schools that are in operation. The
is practical deficiency in the workings of Il
Union Schools when they hsvc organized, tn