Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-03-05
EDUCATIONAL.

Yltlng all VINO seek either nlgnest pleasure or
profit to enter and Scientific Ameri-
can.
EDUCATIONAL.
Shall We have a Law Compelling Attendance
upon the Public schools !
An ESSAY READ BEFORE THE CHITIENDEN COUNTY
TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, JAN. %, 1869, By MR..
E. A. GREENE, sUPT. OF SCHOOLS, RICHMOND. Vt.
1t is frequently taken for granted that So
ciety creates bondage and nature gives freedom,
and that perfect liberty consists in being left
wholly to ones SELF 1t is held that law
which compels parent to send his child to
school in opposition to his wishes, encroaohes
upon his liberty, and is oppressive. The truth
is quite otherwise for nature without ciyiliza-
ton is sure to be bondage, and true liberty is
found only under civilized institutions. We
claim at the present day that the chief corner
stone of our civilization is the Public School
We donot mean school where the child is taught
simply TO read and write but a school where
that are to uphold and carry on the great work
of civilizing and enlghtening the world in the
future where the efforts Of the teacher are con-
stantly exerted, not only to teach from the text
books, but to instil into the minds of the pupils
the truth that '' there is nothing great on earth
but man, and nothing great in man butmind''-
g that mental force is the mightiest originating
tyt 10 81 .t,o+ III bae L.
telescope upon the midnight sky and held the
microscope as it pierced into the infnitude OF
littleness At our feet,-that in all he sees Of
mans achievement upon earth IN lowered ci-
ties in fertile fields stretching over wide spaces
where Of old were but the forest and rock, in the
steamship plowing the ocean against wind and
tide, in the railway train darting through the
bosom Of the mountain, in the telegmphic wire
which puts girdle round the earth in forty
MINUTES, in the picture, the statue, the libra
~ Of great books, the force n work has been
the force Of mind where they are taught the
absolute necessity and duty Of forming habits Of
industry, and that only by the improvement Of
their minds by close application and hard study
they can advance 10 the full stature Of men and
women, and be prepared 10 take their places on
the great battlefield Of life
Il is the serious duty Of the people Of this
State, as well rs Of the whole country, to
secure the regular unfolding Of our institutions,
and to promote their healthy growth by putting
away Whatever is noxi0us, and accepting what
ever Is nutritious. Human experience has
proved that schools are nece--ity-that In no
better way can the time Of the young be employ
ed for their own benefit and the aiylut4ge Of
society, than in the sch.0. room. And the fact
that nearly one half Of the children Ia the State
,.+ ,.ra5-r,+ .++arH s.r..f ..r449.a--+
deuce 20 show that some legislative action upon
the subject is Necessary.
Il We DO not wish TO Be governed by sapersti-
ton and fear, We must battle against ignorance.
These ch.iirJn are by and by to be Legislators
They are o. make 0r unmake % obey or break
the laws upon our staute-b0oks How import
ant then. that they should be taken. even forced
from the paths OF ignorance and error, and
placed in the road that leads TO truth and kuOWl-
el-e that the foundation may be kept firm and
secure upon which we build our republican gov
eminent
The money raised each year by taxation for
the support 1f schools, the people are compelled
by law 20 pay And every person paying the
TAX Is directly interested Every child is in duty
bound 70 attend school. and receive the benefits
this money is des gned TO bestow. Il but one
half attend school, one half " the money is
certainly thrown away, entirely lost SO far as
concerns the benefit which the State might re
ceiye therefr0m.
1; is truly said b. that compulsory measures
are not desirable if other and sufficient means
can be found ~ Such means have not yet been
found nor do think they can be found. We
have hal the untriug energy and zeal Of such
men as the Hon. WA. Siale, President Pease J..
5 Adams, and many others, given TO this sub
iect OF common schools and venture to say
there is not state in the Union which can show
better record Of labor performed by It's school
men and educators than the State ot Vermont
aul yet one half Of the children in the State DO
not attend school There is a class YOU cannot
reach by eutreaty OF argument they Will act in
the matter neither from their own experience 0f
the need Of au eiucatiou, nor from their couyic.
tious # the duty they owe the State. 90 see that
their children are in the right road to make
good citizens. They are wholly Indifferent
through ignorance or selfshnes,. and will NO.
give one thought OF care to the subject. lt is
from tins class. reared in ignorance, that the
majority Of the material IS drawn to I'll our iails
and prisons.
4 law compelling attendance upon the school,
would not only benefit the class that never at-
tend, but also those that are irregular In their
attendance, and especially the teachers. Many
CHILDREN whose parents are thoughtloss and
careless in this matter, absent themselves from
school for any, even the least excuse. Others
being under no control or government at home
% and come as they please There is nothing
that so breaks up the classes, retaris the pro-
gress Of the scholar. and renders inefficient the
iabors of the teacher in school, a the tariines,
and irregular attendance Of the pupils. II
there Is any position a man can occupy In this
life, IN which with the greatest efforts he can
accomplish the least results where punishment is
inflicted and borne 10 the highest point Of endu-
rance, by the thought Of all the time, energy
and money wasted to SO little profit, II is that Of
a teacher Of an of-and-on school. We want q
new law to meet the exigencies of this class Of
schools. We have an apology for law upon
our statute books, which provides that every
child between eight and fourteen years Of age
shall attend school three months in the year but
there is no provision made for an officer whos'
business it shall be TO see it carried into effect
and therefore it is entirely useless, mere rub
hish Ii we have law, We want q live one, ont
that can be effectively enforced.
Our high schools. academies and colleges mus
get their students from the common schools. 1
YOU wish them to be successful and well hlled
You must begin at the common school. And a
every Teachers Association and Institute, thi!
=luulA ht "a HEullALtAA SAAlNNN VI tLNAHAt 1aAA
discussion. Every representative should reminl
himself that the interests Of the state and hi
individual interests are directly concerned il
this matter Of attendance upon the public school
that here he laid the foundation Of his owl
success-that here he was taught TO think; anC
rs the willing may so the unwilling shall, drinl
of this panacea for all the ills that have bese
the governments Of men since man came upOi
the earth Let the interest that is now felt il
our schools die away, or become dormant, an'
Vermont in the future will present a field fo
missionary labor that India would blush to own
We believe that progress is from within out
ward, and not as some by their lives would leaC
US to think, the reverse. We believe man ha
something 10 do in the constant improvement o
his mind by thought and study that 1t i hi
duty to benefit and elevate the race instead o
devoting his whole energies to the accumulation
Of riches or to any other selfish end. With GU
free schools, free churches, and free government
we have opened pathway for al ." the beg
gar and the prince can walk side by side - AM
We must keep this pathway open for all time. Il
our journey onward faults and errors may arise
but vices that spring from virtues are never rad
ical or ruinous evils.
Starting from the leaven introduced into so
ciety by the common school, 90 we can see wha
science has done to abate the curse resting OIL
the face Of the physical world, the immense ser
vice it has rendered to human drudgery, tn
discoveries and inventions, the evils destroye
and benefits multiplied for by science man ha
won his grandest victories over nature
Give US all the children in the country to edu
cate, and churches will flourish in every moo
and corner of the land, and there shall 60 fort
the spirit of large hearted faith and pety
oblivious of all personal ends and looking onl
to tine highest welfare of the whole country.
Miss Hemenway's Vermont Gazetteer 70
Franklin County, embracing digest of the his
tory of each town, is now in the hands of th
printers, and will be ready for delivery in th
course of few weeks. The County Chapter
by George F. Houghton, Esq, is already
tvpe and the towns will progress in alphabetcs