Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-03-29
Report of Schools in Barton.
WIN. A. ROBINSON, SUPERINTENDENT.

Report of Schools in Barton.
VIM. A. ROBINSON, SUPERINTENDENT.
To-day | have the honor to submit to
the citizens of this town my third annu-
al Report. Three years of experience in
the supervision of our schools, if not in
strumental of as marked improvement in
their condition as might be desired and
expected, certainly have not been without
encouragement to me, and to all interested
in their prosperity. This position with
which you have honored me by these sue
cessive elections, though laborious and re-
sponsible, has not been thankless and who'll
ly unpleasant, thanks to your forbearance,
kindness, and generosity.
As | come forward now to read my re-
port am informed that you have again
stolen the march upon me and reelected
me before hearing an account of my stew
ardship. But, thanking you for this re-
newed expression of your confidence in me,
l must emphatically decline to serve you
again in this capacity. | do this in the
name of my ministry, and my manifold
public engagements which seem to have
first claim upon my time and strength, and
which forbid my discharging the duties Of
this office as wisely and faithfully as feel
their Importance demands. I do it also
upon the Vermont principal of rofQtion
in office, that Others may share the honors
and the iabors ofthis position.
Before entering upon the details of my
Report, word concerning the position oc-
cupied by the school in its relation to the
parent and to the State will not be out OF
place. In the view taken by the law which
herein expresses the judgment of all tho't
full minds, the school is designed to be simp-
ly an aid to the paient in the education Of
his children, and safeguard to the State
in organizing, directing, and supplement-
ing the energies of parents for the training
of its future citizeIs. According to this
idea there would sem to be no need of al
argument to enlist the interest Of every
parent in the character and efficiency O
the school. The difficulty is that too man,
accept the institution as existing and d,
not reflect upon their personal responsible
ity for its work. The theory upon whicl
the common schoo exists is that not ever
parent has the tine or ability to instruc
his children as h, wishes Furthermor
it i true that Their, Is added interest an
impulse to most minds by associating wit
Others in the process Of education. 1t
therefore on many accounts &dvantageou.
an economy of tine and money, and
means in most cases to better instructio
for the child, that the parent should entru.
him to a teacher for that portion Of his e
ucation which may be obtained at school.
From this statement Of the true theor
of the school, follow two or three though
which ought never to be forgotten by I'll
parent One Is hat the pared docs %
and cannot suryea9sr to the scl0yi his =
ponSibiEty Jorthe training ef his chih. I'll
teacher is but his agent, temporarily occl
plying his place, and for a specific purpos
Together with tie other patrons of Il
school, not in the spirit Of faction, criticism
but with the best torethought and wisdo
he can Use, he ought to watch with Il
most careful attention and unfeigned int
est the work of the school Realizing til
responsibility, the selection of committe
and of teacher will be regarded by him
a matter of great Importance. Nor viii
idea of responsibility stop here, but co
stantly he may be expected to exercise
real solicitude for the success Of the ,chol
Is the teacher doing his work well? q
the scholars dilieent and atttentive 4
there hindrances to success which can
: removed, or means within reach for Il
improvement of the SCHOOL, These are
: few of the questions which must be consi
=, cred by him if he Is TO any degree intel
u gent and in earnest for the right traini
Of his child In the same connects
: comes the thought that the tefcLer aaFt
parent are ut ,cork jar the same results.
" Any teacher fit to be entrusted with t
charge of school realizes somewhat [
y. Importance Of the trust reposed in hi
The parent cannot expect perfection
T! the teacher, but taking the case as it is.
!. is ordinarily everyway for his interest
cooperate with and sustain the one who
= for the time being his agent for an imp,
tant work. Their interests are not ants
) onistic but identical, and even a poor teaC
er may be helped by a wise community
- teach a better school than the best teac}
, can where he Is unsupported or opposed
the homes Of his pupils. One more tn
= belonging here is that after all The "a
. training Of the chiid must be d5nc at boms
" It lcW be done not IN the scL197 5ut By j.
= PonsiJle agencies. Only short port
y, even of childhood is passed under the
rectiOn Of the teacher. Not to speak of 1
years preceding school age witch embr.
confessedly the most susceptible and pl
- tic period ofour lives, there is only SIN
" part of the succeeding years up to 7
=, turity that is passed in school. More Il
=, half OF the working hours of each day
- spent elsewhere than in the school-rol
while in most cases less than half Of {;
year IS on the average devoted to attend
school Besides this, must be taken i
account the way in which engagements
nc influences outside the school-room are
NC there, and it will be seen that there is .,
90 reason why this thought should be insis
OH upon. 1t is of paramount importance t
parents should remember upon whom fiji
W ly rests the chief accountability for
~ ~ training their children receive. 1t is
''' the State, not the school-system, not
~ teacher that bears the heaviest burden ht
~ but the parent and the home. The q
thing necessary to the weliareof our schC
GA and of our youth Is Enthusiastically more
" telligent convictions and earnest actl
. on the part of parents and guardians
meeting their trusts of this nature. f
ny with an imperfect system, and the mi
i'e disadvantages unavoidable in town
o'' this, believe that they can at once m
our schools one hundred per cent. be
III in management, mode of teaching, orr
nu regularity of attendance, and scholars
> of pupils. Manifesting at their homes
icy public, and at the school meeting Il