The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-10-22


they argue. The way to meet these complaints
is to secure reliable slatistcll information. The
easiest way to gain this information is to pro-
Woe these school registers, at an expense Of not
more than from three to five hundred dollars for
all the districts in the State.
Another complaint made by many is with ref
erence to the incompetency of teachers. Such
complaints are bat TOO well founded. The best
method Of emeiying this evil is that provided
by the recent Legislative enactments, (yiz.) that
of public examination Of teachers.
Another good point in the new law Is, its en-
couragement to regular attendance at schools.
Hardness is one of the greatest and most annoy
ing evils with which our schools have to con-
tend. We are expanding In the State four hun.
dred THOUSAND dollars annually to educate eigh-
ty-five thousand children. OF these children,
hfty.two and onc-half per cent. is an average
attendance at school. Thus nearly one-hllf Of
the expense OF sustaining our schools is lost by
non-attendauce. This is TACT for the con
sideration of tax payers. The new law appor
items the one hundrgd thousand dollars Of State
funds distributed among the several districts il
proportion to the average attendance in such
districts, and not as did the old law, in proper
cion to the Number Of scholars Thus the new
law presents pecaniary encouragement TO res
ular attendance at school,
very important feature OF the new law is,
that it organizes a Board Of Education, who
appoint Secretary and give him power to hold
institutes and public meetings and take steps
to awaken an interest in schools. The law thus
provides means for persistent agitation of the
subject Of education in order to It's constant con
slderation by the people. |; recognizes the i'm
portanco Of keeping awake, giving a right d.
rection to public sentiment La this 1t does
well, for the enforcement of law depends upon
public sentiment, and not simply upon it's CO.
actment
| The new school law is different and chiefly
oommendable in this that it makes provisions
for continually increasing Enlightenment of the
public mind, with reference to the educational
interests of the State. 1t thus secures the pow
er of public opinion to aid in carrying out its
provisions.
| The Speaker continued to show what i'm
provemcnts recent enactments have effected, as
evidenced by returns officially made. The pro-
portion Of female teachers has been largely in
creased, thereby efccting great saving of ex
pense witout Injury to the schools. A much
more satisfactory attendance upon the annual
school meetings has been scared The proper
ton between the number of private and pu 5lic
schools has been changed very much in favor of
the latter, The amount Of hardness has been
reduced twenty-five per cent. within the past
four years. Cases where corporal punishment
has been resOrted to as a discipline, have de-
crease i'll about the same ratio, Indicating an
elevation of moral sentiment in the schools. A
steadily increasing tendency to employ perma-
nent teachers is manifest, and school buildings
are year by year improving.
Mr.. Adams recommended legislative action in
reference to defining duties Of prudential com.
mittees; also providing more perfectly for Sc
curing statistical returns. He urged at some
length the impor lance Of making appropriations
to sustain teachers institutes lie congratulated
the friends of schools upon the fact that graded
schools and union schools are gradually taking
the place of and supplantng select schools and
academies. lie recommended the consolidation
of small districts, as O measure cf the greatest
practical utility in the present condition of the
schools of the State.
In closing his address, Mr.. Adams dwet at
some length upon the intimate relation which
different classes of schools bear to one another.
That which effects the Academy or College,
equally affects the common school. They are
80 lnterdependant that an injury to one or a
benefit to one, will eventually be felt equally by
all. In the present position of Educational af-
fair the consolidation OF the Collegiate strength
OF the State would be of the greatest advantage
A golden opportunity to affect this consolidation
is afforded by the proposal to found an Agricul-
tural College in Vermont, literally endowed by
act OF Congress providing for such Colleges 10
the several States.
Mr.. Adams discussed at some length the ques-
ton of unit ng the Colleges, but as this is TO be
more fully discussed this evening by those con.
nected with, and especially Interested in, the
Colleges, we leave so much as pertains to that