Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-04-20
FLOR the Free Press.
BURLINGTON UNION HIGH
SCuOnT

The fault Of our high school is not in it, or
ganiton. It is free all children who live in the
district. The whole property Of the district is by
law constituted fund for its support. It's re-
lations to the intermediate and primary school,,
are determined by its terms established for the
admission Of pupils. A course Of study is marked
out which is mainly consistent and commendabled
carefully based on the amount of attainment
required by the term, of admission to the school
and teachers have been provided sufficient in
number to meet the dema nds Of such course of
study with any number Of scholars that has ever
been connected with the school. That school so
constituted in an intelligent community shoul-
accomplish so little ours docs deserves the care
full consideration of every citizen. We know that
the ordinary successes in life demand at least a
general knowledge of ores own powers, constant
aim at some clearly conceived end, which those
powers are adapted to reach, and faithful use of
the means a command to reach that aim Just what
is needed for the success Of man is needed for the
success Of school. Its principal directors must
have clearly defined results in view. They must
measure its power with its house, its apparatus.
its pupils, its teachers, To reach those results II
must fill its own sphere, it must not 20 out of its
own sphere; especially it must not 20 below its
sphere. Here are the faults of our high school.
The results aimed at have been neither high
enough nor definite enough. The primary object
seems to be to fI boys so that they can os !. to
college and 70 do sonethiug for the rest of the
pupils. The school has not filed its own sphere
Fer have found by inquiry that for the last FIVE
years there have been formed in the school
no classes in surveying or astronomy or geology
OF physiology general history, and bat
once each in natural philosophy or rhetoric,
though all Of them have place in the course Of
study as expressed In the catalogues, and though
each and all Of them ought to be taught in 8 high
school. The school goes out of and below its
sphere. have made some careful Investigations
with regard TO the actual studies and attachments
Of the classes in the school, and have compared
these with the requirements laid down for sdmis-
sion, and the advancement which might reasonably
be expected from the point so indicated, and the
conclusion which I reach is that the scholarship
Of each class in the school is moro than ono year
Of the terms of admission to the school, and fair
allowance made for advancement after entering.
In other words it appears that the fourth class will
not at the end Of the year have reached that degree
of attainment which should be required Of it at
the beginning of the year; that the third class
will not at the end of the year have reached that
degree of attainment which it should have reached
while 1t was a fourth class, and to the first
class; and when I make known this conclusion l |
know quite we'll that do not announce a dis
covery, and that shall not have to go far to find.
intelligent observers TO sustain the position |
Now one of the results of this state If things is |
that a certain powerful stimulus is withdrawn
both from ru lad from teachers; and that the /
best criterion by which the public judge of the
faithfulness and success Of both is taken away. |
Aimless labor is evermore proftless Ia or, and
the aim becomes indistinc, so does the effort be-
come less effective. So poin,ess supervision is
really no supervision at all ;and what is the mark
people expect their children to reach in
this school? The absence of such studies have
been mentioned as wantin Z, occasions the loss Of
some advanced scholars whose presence would be
Of great value in giving tone to the school, and
ening of intellect the part of both teachers and
scholars winch such studies properly pursued new
er fail to secure.
But the gf~4ae evil Of all 10 the introduction