The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-11-13
Cgr Californian,
vermont Education
l.fa ..-g. 40 s4l.i.4a 10 900 STATE le.sasrs Caa.
lHlfifrI
OBJECTS Is Our SYSTEM GRADED
SCHOOLS.
hu. Ill.
TnI luMfLl

40 harmony 900 connection VIII rlfi ol ilr
grades of ,uf sysleiu Oi Schools. The e'il
bee aprrurd 90 lle in she want Of clearly
d-hrri sphere i.T each Erade o. OcouW
Various rturrs, 30 have seen thus llri hHl u
uprratpd 10 miuglu the different gradrs ipFgIh
o. The Academy has cucfaaphed upon lAr
province of thp Common School on the one
baud, aHd upon th-Lni the college On the
DthrE lHp Common School hns len ils prl-
vince Huu stretched llsrli almost On the Col
lrge, While the College finds itself cDmpeI.ed
~ fYuiorW 10 things 90 they arc,
NnW che question 10, what 10 the remedy ,
Generally, We may hay, h 10 that which vii
drhue ti,s respective spheres NJ these different
Ffiirs Of sehuuls aud cDniue them 20 those
tphrrs. What pgrff0far hmg viii do this
work. is ianfe diliirult problem 60 solve,
Some Wach9l have attempted 20 rli' 90 O
rriuUh hy admitting none 90 tho privileges
Of ,hug ACademlrs, except ON examination.
Tho plpn would duuLllrs,WOrk vel su lar 100
% secure q thorough classification If the
scboluis connected with schools. But as
many would be- deferred irOm entering the
trhull un nCCouut Of the eKHuin ton, who
might otherwise enter, the TEACHER must either
alar,e or make un increased charge oftuiliou
ou those who do enter, Hence, while tbr
examination, u strictly adhered CO., would
drive the younger portion of The rich back
lNin we lfaiflNA NNNNNlf NINN NNNNNNNiN NIlil
increased charge Tor tuition la the 40 dfWy
would Sill deluin the poGror class in tho De
rirl arhuul hu evil would be- rHmedied iU
pafl, The Academy would be- purPed, though
greatly crippled Of ita resources, while the
District School would be- scar ely 40 well Of
49, bolngo. This then, arrms insullclGAt=.
aud though great praise 10 due such teachers
as ,ec The evils Of the present syatcm, and
labor thus unseliIshly 10 remedy them-it
must, think, be- evident 10 ALL that their e.
lprs will iail 10 secure thorough reform,
We must look Tor some thing mOre--a plan
which viii not only compel the younger
scholars % remain IN thulnblio schools, but
Will, NJ the same time open the Academy o.
oil Who are GIted 10 cntcrit by examination
pnur ~ we'll ~ rich, This can only be- done,
j. vii bs observed NJ glance by bringing
tho Academy within the sphere Of the puhlip
sirhool hyatum, la other words, We need
setles OF Graded Schools that shall cover not
only the ground INV occupied BY The District
Schools aud Academies, but shall inelud, even
the College,
This may seem impossible In our sp,rsely
populated State, but lee us see, before We
decide this matter, what Graded SoAosJs are,
aud how they may be sdonled, even Ia Ncr-
mont. They are a system OF Schools whose
franocliye spheres are clearly defined and ar
ranged with respect to each other, NO rs 10
iVtni serioS 0isteps FROM the Primary School
Ia the College. Tho number OF this series
Would vary Ia proportion Co the number Of
scholars 10 Ice taught, In pepulOus villages,
The primary Grade would he confined wholly
10 the rudimcnls OF our language second
Vonld complete q knowledge Of the common
English branches, including few Of the
hgheri the third grade would complete for
lhe pupil thorough busiuos, education on
IL him for College. ms lac might wish ln the
country, the primary grade might include all
the studies that are not rcckoned az higher
English rudcs-ths grade would correspond
precisely with tho prcscnt District School, A.
Ter throwing out the higher studies that are
nov bpnc6illy introduced into that School
the Academy would form the second grade,
whose province would lie wholly between the
frat grade and the College, filling this field 49,
well rs Il could,
The advantages Of this system would be;
First, that the scholar would enjoy the un.
divided attention OF the teacher, directed TO
those branches which are assigned ~ the
Grade he is then in. The teacher could thus
systemic his labors aud impnrt instruction
IN away that is now almost unknown, The
exercises Of reading and spelling, for instance,
lsiiisii nrr tsto uituu guFriuri uvprHF- TRY Hnd
dull, might be made both interesting aud
highly instructive, by giving them more time
and 10y so diversity ing the mnnotonous daily
routine With oral and other exercises as to
rrudtr them attractive. Time would be- Civ.
cn TO develop geography philosophy, aud to
trace its relations TO other subjects not found
Immediately with the sphere OF the Primary
School The teacher would have time 90 pre-
pare himself upon each branch Of study, 80
~ 10 bring vast amount Of fresh matter to
bar upon the lesson Of each duy
A second advantage Of the Graded system
~ that the pupil can pass from one grade 10
the next highsr, only by examination. The
scholar himself is not prepared to Judge when
lac is fitted 20 enter higher grade nor can
his parents Judge of his atthinmentS as well
ms his tcccher, or committee before whom
hc passes rigid and impartial examination
But under the prcsrut order of Things, the
ambition of the scholar or parent, control,
his promotion except rs the teacher. hy in.
tericring can prevent IT,. In the Graded
system, scholar could not enter a higher
class until hy actual trial lac was found pre-.
pared 10 enter H. Thus the teacher would
never be at los to know the attuinmcnts r
capacities OF his schhIlrs aud what he might
rcl'onnbly expect and require Of them, lie
can then apply his instruction understanding
Iy, compcHdy the pupil TO perform the task
assigned him without fear of being unreasou-
able in his requirements.
\ third advantage of the Graded system
is that it would relieve the teacher of the Ia
hor which now belongs TO the financial in.
tcrests Of the present form of Academy
School. No means, either ordinary or extra.
ordinary would need to he put forth to Sccur,
pltronage-no running here and there, b,
the teacher to collect. in little Fragments, the I
money which by hard labor, he has already
earned. These cares and anxieiies being en-
tirely removed by a provision for his support
from the, public funds, he could direct hiSun- |
divided attention to the active discipline and
improvement of his School. An overdue |
unount Of labor and care would not compel !
him To leave the profession for some other !
easier and more lucrative. lie would con-
tinuc permanently in the School, and thus
add, in time to it's usefulness, the ud,antag,
OF experience and long acquaintance with th,
wants of the School aud vicinity in which h.
llbDrS