Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-10-19
REPORT or TIE BOARD OF Ed
TCATION.

THI ToUE1H ANNUAL REPoRT Of the YER
HoNT BOARD OF EDUCATION, with the Report
Of the SECRETARY just printed and which viii
we suppose be in tho hands of the Legislature
tomorrow. IS document which will be
found not a whit less valuable than the cor
rosponjiu; reports Of previous years were.
Indeed We think it viii be found to surpass
them in interest and importance, in several
respects. 1t shows q sensible progress in
the schools Of the State and III the popular
interest taken in them. This progress and
interest IS the direct fruit Of the establish
ment Of ,bc Board Of Education ,and Of such
notifications as have been made within the
last four Gears in the School laws Of the
Standardization not OF a fundamental
but rather Of an administrative character,
not changes OF spirit and intention, but
changes made to secure the effective car
rying out Of what has always been the gen
eral wish and purpose Of the people Of the
State. The people Of Vermont have always
intended that all the children in the State
should enjoy on easy terms the opportunity
+, acquire the clements Of good education
and the annual expenditure for the purpose.
provided by annual direct tax has always
amounted to a very large sum. Unfortunately
however. from tie want of suitable provision
by law for thorough supervision Of this
appropriation, and for the means of public
scrutiny into its actual disposition and the
effects produced by it, far less good came Of
it than, in the judgment Of all consIderate
men ought to have come. But the past
three years has shown a remarkable change
for the better. The people Of the State are now
alert for improvement. They seek for in
formation respecting the schools of the State.
they gather to public discussion. on the
subject, they improve their school houses, they
seek cor better teachers, and they inquire
eagerly what more needs to be done to bring
all tie children in the State within the
Wholesome, cqualIzing, eleyating and form
ing influences of our public schools, and to
make these schools all that they ought to
be.
The constitution Of the Board Of Educa-
ton pas been proved by trial to be an excel
lent one. The sound common sense of the
men who have composed it, so far as their
ofyial action has been concerned, their de-
termination to keep clear of abrupt and e1-
cessiyc change, and to secure the willing CO.
operation Of the people al large in beneficial
Ie'ofms' Ivy causing to be brought before
theF mlncs the evidences of their necessity.
aud the means by which they can be bronobt |
about. rather than by bold and STARTLING
messmc,. have secured for them the ,,,l;o |
respect md confidence. Their own views
hava been most ably seconded by their Sec
re,arv, whose love FOR the cause, whose un-
trinE Industry, and power to awaken in
Others the deep interest which he himself
feels in the cause of popular education, are
known and appreciated from one end of the
State to the other. His report to the Board
forming the major part of the vol
ume before us,--is q document of great
value. The whole of it is full OF instruction. |
We have not time TO particularize, yet VIC
can not avoid saying how deeply interesting |
we have found that part of 1t which is
made up of remarks from Town Supern-
tcndents. We were struck with the great |
body of good sense embodied in those re-
marks, and We feel obliged to the Secretary
for giving them to the public. It speaks
well for the good spirit Of the people to have
10 generally chosen for the Office of Town
of Schools, men Of such en-
argcd, generous, and sensible views. 1t
shows that the people Of tho State are in