St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-04-07

ter hiring any one who comes alprg
instead of spending time TO secure the
best teacher they possibly can.
A few still look at the price TO he
paid. more than at what is TO be rcccir-
ed for the money paid out forgetting
that pocr teacher Is dear at any price.
To waste the time OF Il whole school, or
put such a teacher in The school room
that the pupils will not accomplish half
what they might under an efficient in
structor, in order TO save Il dollar a week :
in the teachers wages is certainly poor !,
economy. Should any enc propose TO
hire all the scholars in some Of our largc
schools half tie time for enc or two dol |
lars Il week every one would ut once
see the alsur'lity of such Il proposal.
Yc', to save that sum in Il teachers
WAGES, there are not a few men who
would practically throw away half the
time Of all the scholars who attend the
school. That Is they will hire the poor
teacher instead OF the coed enc, il the
former can be obtained dollar or two
Il week cheaper. As matter Of fact,
however, in our town the pocr teachers
receive about the same pay AZ the good
ones, and the great difficulty has been Il
want OF careiulncss in selecting. sumo
seem TO take it for granted that any one
who can obtain license to teach must
be Il proper person to hire. Eut the fact
is that two per. onS may b. equally well
qualified 80 far as education is concern
cd, and yc, one he worth double what
the other is in the school room; or the
difference may he 50 great that there l.
no comparing the value OF their services.
Whcn committees come To realize this,
AMI act upon it; refusing to hire any but
the best teachers our schools will he
come more nearly what they ought to
be Another difficulty Is that too many
of oar prudential committc feel no re-
Spon>ibiIity for the school after the teach
cr is hired and put i'll the school room.
In eight districts i'll town Il e committee
have not visited the school III all durin.
the year ami twcmty-tour of the thirty
eight terms have passed without any
visit by the committee.
This, - ii seems 10 me, i an Gnpar.
dunahlr neglect ON the part of those who
are chosen by the district 10 look after
| the Interests uI the school.
In fact no parent ought To he thus in
different to the prosperity al the school
which hi or her children attend. Would
parent, but visit the schools frequently |
am sure our schools, in many rcSpc T.,
| would bs greatly improve
Nearly all the sch ;olS III town suffer
very much from IRREGULAR Attendance and
tardinr-S. The average attrndancc j.
but Little more than three urth- the
whole number Of scholars in school,
while tie rrgi-tcl> liz year report $50
lard, mark
Now many parents whose children are
frequently absent OF tardy 10 not realize
that fact. 1t seems Il little thin" 10 nj
low Il child To hc absent or late onc.. and
few parents think this occurs often even
when >ucl i the case. In many in-tan
ce- doubt no! the record found in thc
registers would b. surprising 10 parents.
| commend To the c.u,lul examination
of parents tie REGISTERS OF orr h0ol-.
confident that such examination 10y dis
closing the spnlc, would do much toward
rcmpvIn. this great evil OF tardincs- and
irregular attendance
The effort now being made in our
state 10 abolish the district system de-
serves the careful consideration OF every
citizen and trust the subject will receive
your attention.
To me it seems 4 step OF true progrcsS.
~ the board elected to take char.c of
the schools OF the town, which adopts
the town system, are 10 hold their office
three years; one third the number being
elected annually they would soon be-
come acquainted with the wants ot the
schools and the capacities OF teachers and
thus be better able than prudential COM
mIttcc- now are Ia secure such teachers
~ are BOT adapted 10 the different schools.
Then many of our schools are now too
>""H TO b. really GOOD. With one
scholar in 4 class there Is no chance 10
excite emulation, and in "a school of @
OF IL scholars it j. almost Impossible 10
awaken amy great enthusiasm. To Sc
cure the highest efficiency OF school, |
think the average attendance should he
1T least %. la : of the districts in town
the whole number of scholars in tie dis
trict Is less than 20, while i'll only / dis
tricts in town has the average attendance
of either term cXcccdc;l that number
The aggregate average attendance in q of
the districts last summer WIS only 4
traction over II. Now, ii these .
schools could have been put INTO 1 or at
the most ) what L saving Of expenses 10
the town there would have been. Aud
while saving the expense the efficiency OF
the school, would also have been "rratly
increased.
Another advantage OF the proposed
change is that it would oquaIizc the cN-
pcn>e oI supporting our schools. lndcr
the present system some districts pay
but very little, whic others pay Il heavy
tax tn maintain their schools
The new method make, all pay alike
throughout the town and then lives to
all the children the same length of
school. This certainly will be very
much To the advantage nl the smaller
districts on which the burden of support
ing even Il short school Low comes 80
heavily. The disadvantage arising from
the greater distance some will be Obliged
to 90 TO reach the school. if the nun Der
OF schools is lcsscncd, will, | think, be
much more than made up by the ad-
vantage Of having Il larger and better
school to attend. For full discussion
| Of 81, I ,,.,,,II a. -, -.....