Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1866-10-17
Loss.

l3.T2s
Mustered out of service, in all, 10, 239
rs, 9Gi
Veterans re-enlisted, 1861
Enlisted in the U navy army and marine
corps. T. l,339
Drafted men, paid communication, l,9Tl
Total number of men furnished by this
state. 34,23s
NORMAL AND COMMON SCHOOLS.
For many years there has been an in
creasipg strength of pubic sentiment in
this State favorable to the adoption of
some adequate means of supplying more
specific course of instruction for the
teachers of our common schools This
sentiment has increased very rapidly, and
has become more and more defined within
the past few years, until the great major
ity of thoughtful friends of popular edu-
cation seem thoroughly united in desr-
ing the establishment of some system of
State Normal instruction.
The national troubles and the very
large expenditures induced thereby, have
hitherto delayed any attempt to inaugu-
rate such system as would respond to the
general demand for while all have been
united in opinion that we were i'll duty
bound to lose nothing Of the ground al
ready gained in the field Of educational
labor, all have equally agreed that the
heavy burden of our taxes rendered it
unadyisable to undertake any new enter
priSes, however laudable, which must
necessarily increase so largely the State
burdens, as would be done by the attempt
to establish a system of State Normal
Schools similar TO those of some Of our
sister States.
Within the last year. the way seems to
have been opened by which a beginning
may be made in the Accomplishment Of
this important work, and at very slight
expense to the State. The Trustees Of
Orange County Grammer School-an in
stitution of established haracter-have
to the Board of Education to sur
render up the use Of their school property
FOR term of years, for the purpose Of
converting their school into State Nor
nal School the Board of Education to
courses of study, the first to in
dude all the branches required by law
% be taught in the common schools, and
he second to be NOR rigid, and to require
n its mastery years longer time; the
}oard to determine the qualifications for
admission to and graduation from the
chool. aud to attend by its agents, upon
ii examinations, and decide who shall
&c allowed to enter and to graduate; The
Board to nominate the principal, and the
rustces to engage as principal no other
han some person SO nominated by the
Board the trustees to keep the school
property in good repair, and to determine
he rates Of tuition and receive the same
or their own benefit; graduates from the
irst course to receive certificates which
hall inurc to their benefit. os qualifying
mem to teach in any common school in
he State for five years; and graduates
rom the higher course to receive crcdcn.
lals which shall avail them as perpetual
certificates. This proposition has been
approved by the Board Of Education, and
vii appear at length in the report of
heir Secretary, and, at their request
commend the subject to your careful con-
,ideration.
| recommend the enactment ola law by
which the Board of Education may be
empowered to accept the proposition re.
ferred to, and also to accept, in their dis.
,rction, similar propositions from other
schools in different parts Of the State,
and TO carry out the compacts that will
result from such acceptances, by atten.
ding, in person or by agents, the examin-
atoms for admission to and graduation
from any schools thus adopted and gran
ting to graduates the appropriate ccrtii.
Gates
| desire also to commend to your atten.
ton the matter of the authorized list Of
school textbooks. somewhat extended
discussion Of which will be found in the
report Of the Board of Education to your
honorable body. The original selection
Of school books was made in 1859, to ex.
pire in 1854 but the time originally APP.
pointed for its duration was afterwards
extended to 1867, and will now soon ex.
pire. This plan of an authoritive selec-
ton Of school books, although strongly OPP
posed at first, seems to have won its way
to very general approval
Some legislation at your present session
will be necessary to prevent return to
an unlimited diversity of books that can /.
not but injure the schools and recon-
mend that the Board of Education be en-
powered TO revise the authorized list of
school books, and publish the same as
soon as may be practicable and that the
authority of the present list be continued
until such revision be made public.
REFORM SCHOOL.
Under the act approved November 0,
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