Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-08-26
ten, with either the common schools below,
or the colleges above them.

|
. Two inquiries cover the ground of the re
olution under consideration. |. Would
be desirable to have a certain amount of q
tainment in knowledge-the same to be a
certained by examination prescribed as Il
condition of pupils admission into the a
ademy 2 If desirable, is it prdcticabl
The first Mr. Colby answered in the affirm;
tive Could it be 50, 1t would greatly reliey
the teachers, and would improve both tn
common schools and the academies but h
did not believe it practicable yet awhile, if e'
er. Our will to have things better does nc
give US the power to make them SO. Cir
cumstances control us, and hinder US from
doing what we would do if we could.
Many of these institutions are started from
feeling Of village rivalry, or from a desire
to sare the expense of sending children to q
remote one, and in most of them there are
no means to sustain the institution, beyond
what can be got from tuition. The pupils
must No got in clqs,Jerttl' numh- s.. or lle
Institution must stop. The conditions Of ad
mission cannot therefore ha made stringent.
Yet no doubt there are some academies
strong enough to regulate the matter for
themselves, as it should be S far as it can
be done, is influence will be good
Mr.. FerTin, of IIinesburgh, enforced many
OF the remarks Of Mr. Colby, as to the effect
of the great multi lIcity of these schools.
whether chartered or not. and their need to
make every thin. work for the Increase Of
the number Of their pupils, because
their support depends entirely on tuition
money. N most instances. Advertiny 70 the
carly history oF the s. 3. r. rt' i- was
PLAIN that the expectation ,..a 1c.s % .uvr
only one College for the State. and one
County Grammar School f. each
County, and Common Schools as needed
in the several Tawns--rll to be superviseI by
the State. and open to all. The change from
the original plan many Of the friends Of edu-
cation had seen reason to deplore, hut the
change was made, and there could be no
retracing tie step; and 50 far as Academies
are concerned. one for each County would
not suffice by anv means
The Common Schools a,e constantly under
the supervision of law. The stable character
IF the Colleges secures for them the super
vision OF their Corporations but the institu-
lions under consideration are practically at
oose ends, in most instances The prosperity
# each one is dependent mainly, often en-
irely, on the Principal, who takes the risks.
and is expected to arrange pretty much as
ne likes to promote his own interest.
How would it 30 to allow each town which |
,hould choose to do it. to organize for that
Town a High School. and to sustain it on the
Grand List, bringing It under the rastria-
ions Of law as the common schools are
'roucht? The Union School, now author
zed, approaches this, but dependent on such
districts only as agree 70 form one, it does
rot fully meet the want Graded Schools
moreover cannot easily exist except where
here are large villages. Under lawful
authority 70 do 50, some towns might estab-
ish su,h High Schools, md progress for the
etter would be made
Mr.. Conant of Burlington thought the
iffcuty of establishing proper degree Of
ttainnent as Il condition for entering the
cadenies Sc., was oyer-rated by those who
receced him Il teacher would have
)ura:e to face the effect arising from the
eputation of having small school for
-hile he believed the manifest benefit of a
lore ,igid system would soon he perceived
receipts might be lessened at first, but ex-
ense' would also be lessened. In the end the
,adeny would be better, the common school
ould be better, the community would see it
be so, and would properly sustain both
The subject was briefly remarked upon
rtber by Messrs. Wheeler, Stevens, and
dams of Burlington Stone of Waterbury. t
I'd Childs OF Castieton
Mr. Stone said the academies and insti-u-
ons under consideration. such as thev are,
uld not he dispensed with, and the 1ificul- 4
IS felt in this State are felt in Massachusetts, /
ID other States, in measure. Many Of c
ese schools have the name of what in real
Y thev are not. Like the boy, who cried for +
le "hot buns" when they were cold and {
Y. and answered to the disappointed Gus c
me. who asked him what he called them
for. that that was their name, 50 we might I
Y of many of these institutions which have {
sounding name, to make them marketable. b
ndowsd Institutions were greatly needed. /
Mr.. Benedict, of Burlington, thought it t
tier to lay the resolution on the table. =
'act1cal action could not be expected from Il
The discussion had done good. and a "
lewal of 1t at future time, would do more. 0
e time, doubtless, would come, when there Il
uld be well-endowed academies he .
'uS ~ hO1 mum leS loldLlNt IlunIUceDCe, Dut | >
IN private liberality-which would be able il
support good teachers in permanent way, Il
which now hardly one in the State could "
)perly do,-and such could have thorouob =
d prescribed courses of study. O,
We must be content to wait, and to do as
Ii as We can in the mean time. 1t isa lone >,
'cess to bring large community under h
influence of an abiding new sentiment. :,
ne of the most striking and important i'm :
of the school law, lately made
IN such general good will, were pressed /,
the attention of a large assembly of the OF
luential minds of TIE State, who had met nj
the express purpose of inquiring what r
I'D be done to improve education in the W
tie, twenty five years ago, and they have II
IN often urged since that time, yet it was n
till last year that the sentiment had be- h,
ne strong enough in the State to insure fo
aHa~t;o~