Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-07-18
RUTLAND HERALD.
SATURDAY, JULY Is, 1867.
State Normal school for the First
CONGREGATIONAL District.

tlon to the securing of the Normal
School TO be located In the first Con-
gressional District. The indifference TO
this matter may arise from not under
standing the law or the nature Of the
Institution. At the last session OF the
General Assembly, the Orange County
Grammar School was constituted Nor
NAL School for the State of Vermont 1t
was made the duty OF the Board of Edu-
cation TO nominate Principal, and he
TO select his own assistant teachers and
provide for the discipline OF the school
the Board of Education TO arrange two
courses OF study aud have full control
of the admission and graduation of
teachers. One course of study to in
clude all the branches required by law
TO be taught in the common schools of
Vermont; the other TO include the first
course and higher branches; and re-
quiring for its completion at least one
full year of study; certificates of gradu-
alton to be granted to all who pass the
required examination.
A certificate of graduation from the
first course, gives license to teach in
the common schools OF the State for
five years. and certificates from the sec
ond or higher course, license to teach
in the schools for fifteen years. The
Board of Education to appoint from
among their pumber examiners and Wis
itors to the school.
This is in brief the object and pur-
pose of the school, and its management
as stated In the law creating it, and this
is but a meagre statement of the actual
purposes OF such an institution. The
benefit and influence for good growing
out Of the course of training pursued in
Normal School are of the greatest i'm
portance to the educational interests of
the State. Vermont has been very slow
In her movements towards the establish
ment of these institutions, and although
her schools have very much improved
through the means of Teachers Institutes
and other efforts put in operation, yet
the teachers have been very far from the
standard of what they ought to have
been or what they would have been had
Normal Schools been in operation in the
State. All the New England States have
for many years had the benefit of such
institutions for the education of teachers,
which has resulted in their having en-
ployed in the public instruction of their
children, teachers Of the highest grade,
and their system has far outstripped that
of Vermont. Ours might have been far
in advance of what it now is but for the
indifference Ia making provision for the
proper education of teachers. The law
of the State provides for the establish
ment OF not more than one Normal
School in each Congressional District.
The conditions required of the Academy
Or School applying to the Board Of Edu-
cation to be constituted Normal School
are that they shall surrender to the
Board the right to arrange the courses
Of study, to conduct the examinations,
grant certificates, nominate teachers,
and generally exercise over the school
the supervision provided for in the act
to establish State Normal School.
The Trustees OF Academies or Schools
that are designated as State Normal
Schools, are constituted Trustees of the
State Normal School, and have the
management of its finances, rs the law
provides that the Normal School shall
be established and maintained without
expense to the State.
Two OF the Normal Schools have al
ready been established, one for the second
district at Randolph, and one for the
third district at Johnson, both of which
are now in successful operation. The
Randolph School has an average of one
hundred pupils, who are pursuing the
course of study required. 1t only re-
mains for a school to be established in
the First Congressional District, and the
question arises, where shall it be located
to best accommodate the people of the
district? This is not question for the
Board of Education to SETTLE but for the
people of the district. If but one town
comes forward and makes proposals to
the Board, and that town be In the very
extreme of the district, the Board would
undoubtedly feel bound under the law
to accept the proposition. This is a
question of much Importance, for the
accommodation of all Western Vermont
is to be considered. The two schools
now established are practically of nc
avail to the Southern part of the State
therefore efforts should be put forth for
central location. We learn that but
one application has been made in this
district, and that from the people Of Bris
toll in Addison county. The Board OF
Education will meet on the 9Th of Au.