The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-03-28

81. JOHNOBUR
Unless a teacher Of rare qualification for her
work were furnished we should we should ex-
pect the attendance of pupils at such place
for purposes of study would in nearly all ca
ses be compulsory. The school house is to a
considerable degree an index of the civiliza.
tion of the community that owns it. We
have but few school houses in town that are
what they should be. A good school house
even on the low level of economic and pecu-
mary calculation is wise and profitable in
vestment. 1t enhances the value of every
house III the village, and adds to the saleabe-
ness of every farm in the district. District
No. has one house-the one at Paddock s
Nillage-that may be called model house.
The ease with which it has been kept neat
and free from DETACHMENT by jack-knives, &C.,
shows the wisdom Of the policy that furnished
it with nicely polished benches and other
things to match. The high school building is
not what it should be. The school room at
Fairbanks Village is comfortable and nice,
though the exterior of the building has no
claim to beauty. That at the depot is not
what it should be. In No. the house is in
need of repairs, and should have had more
ground. No. j has excellent grounds which
would be improved by shade trees. The
house has been repaired during the year and
answers its purpose passably well, though
one room has no place for teachers desk or
chair. No. 6, !, SO, II, -, 13, II, have
buildings that need much improvement. No.
l3 requires two good school rooms. 1t has
but one, and that very shabby. No. II has
a very neat house and grounds. The house
would have been model one had it been
some eight or ten feet longer, thus giving a
place for teachers desk and room for class
es in recitation. In No. lG there is no school
house, though the grounds are represented
by the district clerk as quite extensive, COM
prising "the whole of H. Caswe's meadow.
In No. Il is fair school house.
For the year ending March 81, 1861, l find
the expenditures for the schools in this town
to be
For teachers board and wages S3Ol3.S2
fuel, furniture and incidentals, 44645
erection and repairs Of houses 65j 30
Making the whole amount expended
for schools S4095. IS
Making S2S3.10 more for wages of teachers,
board, fuel and incidentals, than for the year
previous. OF this sum &142554 was public
money. There was raised on the grand list
S2924.44 against S27l9.4S the previous year
The whole number of children in town be-
tween four and eighteen years as returned a
year ago was S14 against 9l7 reported the
year before. The whole number between
four and eighteen that attended school dur
ing the year, 7OS, and the average attendance
was 80. The amount of money expended
for schools was S3.9j for every person be-
tween four and eighteen years, against S3.41
for the year previous.
In this town find that the barbarous old
custom Of making the teacher board around
has nearly passed away, not being practiced
except in one Or two districts.
During the year just closing but three
male teachers have been employed in town
one in each of the villages. In all the vii
lagos the school has been maintained fol
three terms or about 33 weeks In the re
naming districts the schools are all small
and female teachers are most protitably EN-
, ployed. In No. II, also, three terms wer
held amounting to 2S weeks. In No. 9 ther
has been but one term of twelve weeks,-
not enough, think to answer the require
, ments of the law that the district may shar
the public money.
find in some instances teachers and pru
e dental committees are not as particular a
: they should be in regard to procuring licen
# ses-the teachers having in some instance
: commenced their schools before applying fo
e license. In one district, No. 9, two teach
Il ers were employed during the past winter
# neither of whom had license. A teache
e should never be permitted to commence he
d school until she has license. The law doe
It not leave it to the option of the prudentia
G committee to pay the unlicensed teacher o
a not 1t makes it the duty of the seectme
is to sue the prudential committee, in the nam
If Of the district, and recover any money PAL
- to such a teacher.
If The qualifications of the teachers employee
n during the past year have beer perhaps lii
TT tie better than during the previous year.
d There is still in most instances much ROOF
" for improvement There is not the thoroug
RS understanding Of the why's and wherefore
II that is desirable. Most are deficient in e
m ography and spelling. Some who are we
t. qualified so far as books are concerned hav
i'll not the faculty to wake up their pupils t
H. study-do not understand the art of teachin,
le To attain the results that are desirable in o,
of schools we need to have persons who ha,
is had some special training for their work.
or They may get this in a measure after son
rs terms spent in teaching, but, in gener;