Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-10-27
I5reen Att, greemau
Address of Secretary Adams.
MONTPELIER, VT.
Tuesday Morning, October 40, 1858.


i the State Board of Education in the Repre-
anlatiyes Hall last evening, was of unusual in
trcst, both with respect to tho style Of the ad-
lIess and the educational topics Of which it
teated. 1t wss fully attended, and among the
hudience were HE Presidents and other officers
b the collegiate institutions Of the State.
After referring to the embarrassment which
b cly in speaking officially Of the educational
htcrests Of tie State in the preeont position oil
i4irs with reference to them, Mr.. Adams ad-
ertod to the Importance which properly belong
to the pubs recognition by the Legislature
such interests. few years ago it would
ave been a strange and surprising thing for
BE- Legislature to have assembled to listen to
IL address upon tho subject Of education 1t
kould have been deemed a method OF recogniz-
ng the importance Of the subject wholly un-
aled for and quite out Of character This
ack of official recognition had bcen one OF the
Xhiugs from which the cause Of education had
nleled most IN Vermont. Shrewd and caIcu-
atug business men had learned to regard school
1atters as Of secondary importance. II the
II sislature deemed them Of little consequence,
a as IL matter of course would citizens gener-
II Since tn organization Of the Board Of
ucatiJn ana the enactment ot the school law
ii has been charged, and now it is not eur.
wislg that the leading men OF the State Assem-
BIZ 20 consider these interests as Of the hlst im-
p5 luce. Affairs have changed very much
ID ;en years ago. Then, although The law
w led for the election Of a State Supcrinten.
IA Vt schools, the Office was ~ owed 10 remain
IA, .n. Contempt was felt for the law, be-
al ,e the Legislature treated such matters with
nsg scg.
scnooI affairs had suffered more from perycrt-
Ia public sentiment than from any other cause
be- is a curious page in our history in refer
nr 70 this Il is undoubted that the Yer
nentcr has always felt genuine respect for
dpction abstractly considered He does not
Ea respect so much to wealth or position as to
nterlectuaI ability and culture. 1t was the
peg oct OF 'e.ding men 10 regard to school in
|eresls that controlled and misdrectcd public
|entmeu. Contrast with this the way sucL
matters ara managed in Massachusetts,, and see
lso the result II in that State there has been
mai OF towering strength and mastery ability,
/ ha- been for such one especially to take a
part IN advancing the cause Of education. II Is
singular fact that all tbs most renowned men
pf THAI State have conncc,od their names with
h educational interests. Sumner, Wilson and
Banks are examples that illustrate this state
Eaeu;. just in proportion to a mans elevation
shcrc, has been the interest he bas shown in the
pnblic schools. In Vermont, just the reverse
d this was formerly true. The subject OF edu-
IL ton was cons dered f.. matter for a Joke.
Legislation upon this subject for the last ten
mar has accomplished much MIR. Adams
p POSED to direct attention to some changes
d. have been made for the better, and to point
%, somo Deficiencies of the school law that
y required to be supplied. The school law of
Nrmont was adopted from the laws Of other
81 te=. It is not, therefore, a complete and con
&,eut whole Legislation has been required
To out various points. In reference to such
supplementary legislation. some leading men
who shuuld do otherwise, present objections.
n first point Of legislation OF this character
VI Ella is noticeable is that which provides for
ml plying school registers To obtain statis-
IL, Of our schools is Of the highest Importance.
D. popular complaint against men who advo'
At measures for the improvement OF schools
il that thtyare mere theorists, and have not
an accurate knowledge Of the facts from which
they argue. The way to meet these complaints
Is to secure reliable statistical information. The
easles way to gain this information is to pro
VIC these school registers, 1T an expense Of not
nore than from ;hree to five hundred lllars ior
all the districts in the State.
Another complaint made by many is with ref
erence to the incomPetency of teachers. Such
complaints are but loo well founded. The best
hethod Off emedying this evil is that provided
b. the recent legislative enactments, WIZ that
d public examination OF teachers.
Another good point in the new law is, its en-.
~uragoment to regular attendance at schools
Iarduess is one of the greatest and most annoy.
b. evils with which our schools have to con-
nnd. We are expendrng IN the State four hun.
dfcd thousand dollars annually to educate eigh-
b.iiVe thousand children. Of these children,
ffty.two and one-half per cent is an average
attendance at school, Thus nearly one.haf oil
she expense of sustaining our schools is lost by
ncn-attendance This is tact for the con.
liberation of tax payers The new law appor
ticus the one hundred thousand dollars Of STATE
binds distributed among the several olstrict il
proportion to the average attendance in suct
dsiricts, aud not as did the old law, in proper
ton to the number Of scholars Thus the new
hw presents pecunary encouragement to res
uar attendance at school.
\ very important feature OF the new law is
ihat it organizes Board of Education, VIII
appolnt Secretary and give him power to hO
Institutes aud public meetings, and take step
y awaken au interest 10 schools. The law thu
provides means for persistent agitation Of tn
subiect of education in order to its constant con
sdoration by the people, 1t recognizes the i'm
fortancc of keeping awake, giving right d