Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-08-23
Natchman Sc Journal,
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST %, 1871.
--...--.
TERns-t2oo per year, strictly In advance, or t2io
ifnot paid within three months.
The Union School.

tee OF our Union School have been aecuatomcd
to make only the most meagre outline report
Of the state Of the school from year to year.
The financial condition Of the institution is
given accurately, and the district is called
upon to vote the estimated tax But here.
so far as the committee is concerned rA.
knowledge Of the taxpayer ceases. What
we need is clear and intelligent exhibit
annually Of the internal condition of the
school Of its management aud policy Of it,
rules and the reasons for them; of its adj
yantages and results and promises. Often
there are matters in the school that create
inquiry and criticism in the district. The
committee adopt some system Of instruction
or discipline which exctes remark, and some.
times opposition but they take no occasion
to explain their proceedings at the annual
meeting, or to give the taxpayers an adequate
idea of the reasons which have caused and
governed their action Explanation Of this
character is necessary to full discharge Of
the stewardship Of the committee 1t is
necessary to create an intelligent interest in
the school. 1t is necessary to disarm hostile
criticism, aud to prevent complications aud
variations and hurtiu changes in the school
Administrations
We have not doubt that the committee
are able to give such report as would be
perfectly satisfactory to the district and JUS
tiiy their entire management If they neg
ect TO do ii, it is not from inability. II is
only bad custom that would be moro hon.
ored in the breach than in the observance.
There Is good deal of questioning in re-.
respect to the division Of the scholars The
lower room is crowded, while the upper
rooms have comparatively few scholars and
it has been suggested that it would be best to
add another primary room by cutting off one
Of the rooms in the advanced grade Some
have thought that the sixty scholars of the
two upper rooms might be put into one, and
the one hundred and thirty scholars Of No
might get the advantage Of the room thus
gained by simple division. Such sugges.
ton seems very plausible on the face of it,
especially to those who estimate scholars by
the number, and not by the character fther
attachments or studies With such persons
it is enough to say that No has one hun.
bred and twenty scholars and Nos and $
have thirty scholars each They need no
other reason for division and consolidation
Divide No. | and consolidate Nos. : and 5,
and that will give sixty to each room. The
| logic is simple and the conclusion is obvious
Yet if such acute observers should look lit.
tie farther, they might learn that in No.
there is but one study pursued The scho.
ars there are all learning the nlphabet aud
first lessons in reading aud spelling The
work Of the teacher is trying one but it
is mouotonous and necessarily is shut off from
the variety Of studies pursued in the advance
ed grades.
1t has been deemed advisable in Montpe-
lear 10 have a FIRST class graded school, in
which all the departments OF study prepare
tory to a collegiate course or a well qualified
business life should be pursued. Thus far
/ this has zen done. The school has become
first of its kind, second to none in the State,
an incalculable advantage TO our youth. an
honor and blessing to the town. The curric-
ulum runs through eight grades, and many
children have begun with the first and gradu-
ated with honor in the last. But it is the
nature and necessity of such a system that as
! the studies are more advanced and varied
the number pursuing them should he dimin.
ished. Every child needs to learn to read
, But few proportonately wish to acquire the
higher English and classical branches llenc,
y there il gradual sitting of the school in it
n progress upwards The many rest satisfied
u with the minimum of instruction The few
, press on TO the maximum But it is the cours
e of instruction pursued in the highest grade
II that determines the character and value o
: the school. 1t is the maximum we can reacl
!, that indicates the true excellence Of our edu
&, catonal system 70 cut off from the high
/ est and add to the lowest, to diminish the in
e struction Of the upper rooms for the purpos
Of adding to the humber Of the lower rooms
! would be a sad way of reducing the value
reputation and the usefulness Of the school
n The chief difficulty in No. | is the numbe
J. of pupils not the variety and extent of tb
n lessons. The chief difficulty in the highe
3 departments is the variety and extent of th,
l. lessons, and not the number Of the pupils
G The teacher in No. ! can get through he
!. routine for the day in four TO five hours. Tn
q teachers in No. and take from six t
s eight hours; often more. If it is best /
? have high school, it is impossible to nstruc
d the sixty scholars in the upper rooms ade
quately in twice the time that the one hun
n bred scholars in the lower room require. Tn
., question is then simply, whether it is best t
N have a high school, or whether il is best I
turn out the higher departments and max
the Montpelier Union School simply Pr
mary Department? Shall we cease to Irc
d vide a system that will fit all the youth {
,e the place, who desire, with the best possb!
education preparatory to college or to bus
o. ness, and content ourselves with the reductio
- of the school to its minimum, in order, PEI
ID chance to save little EXPENSE There
he now not a siudious or aspiring child in tow
lie who may not at the public expense attain III
y, ~ best preparatory education and discipline,
n is rather poor policy to cut off the head e
w the sake of adding to the feet We ma
re save little money to make all the schoo
It, primary to abbrevate the grade; to say
=, the ambitious youth who have won their wa
he up to the highest departments, You sha
ee not here have the instruction which you a
p pire to get We have given up the advance
\. !, curriculum in order to give the primary scho
W. y" more room. II you want an advanced Ac