National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-04-19
Extract from 1OsOm Swpert''feN"-
eNt's Report Of CIselse0.

Among many improvements need
ell to make our schools what the.
should be | wOuld ut this time Ia.
stress upon too
/. We need better school h0nses.-
The school house should he not mere
" convenient but also attractive. IL
| It's situation aud surrounding a. wei
~ In its construction Il furniture i
should he cheerful and pleasant
Let the scene associated with the
chiId's early school days he q thini
OF beauty which sis JOY forever
Let 1t not repel, but attract: let !
not increase the burdens, but add 4
the pleasure Of learning. This Il
but the decision of common sense !,
this matter. Bnt how does on
common practice tally with our com
mon sense. Going to exchange will
. neighboring minister not long ag'
met him on the way and in answel
to inquiries AZ to the most direc
road told him to turn to the right a
a certain school house a mile or two
ahead. He drove straight by th'
school house q mile or two out Of hi
way very mnch to his Inconvenience
especially a. night overlook him be
lore he reached our village. HI
told II g afterward that he saw thu
school house but decided it was q
pig pen or sheep barn or something
of that kind. Now we don't want
school houses for our children that
will be mistaken for pig pens. We
are thankful that the school house
mentioned burned down last winter
and we presume the parents OF the
district are thankful as for the
chileren there is no question but
they will be when the new and pleas
ant school house goes up from the
ashes of the old one. We want a
pleasant yard set with shade trees
around every school house. We
want all the associations connected
with the school as bright and attrac.
tive as possible, We do not think
we are behind neighbOring towns
But the school houses of our state
are blot on our fair history and
character. We hope the time is not
far distant when Vermont will not
be outranked in this regard by any
state in New England.
2. The other need of our schools
is better teachers.
Teachers better qualified in all
respects, this is the great need.
Many think teachers will do for
our common schools, especially for
the primary departments and the
simmer terms, even though both
their education and experience are
limited.
No greater mistake could be made.
Give the primary schools the best
teachers. Start the training right
and the children can better take
care of themselves, better resist the
influence of wrong teaching. But
start them wrong and how much
waste OF time and strength there
must be in overcoming false nOtisons
Of study and schools, in correcting
errors and unlearning what has been
Incorrectly tau ht HistOr y gives a
Detter illustration of the power of
Early training in the case OF the
IF the Roman Jesuits. The tide OF
he great Protestant Reformation
vas checked and almost rolled back
" the coming craft of this order OF
Priests. This was their practice
Every where they founded schools
md to this rule was due their amaz
ne success. According rs a teach
II showed more aud more aptitude
or his office and proved it by the
'apid progress of his pupils he was
promoted in the school by being
placed over the class junior to his
ormer one, until the ablest teach
vas toud and he was set to teach the
udiments only, on the sound prin-
iple that after the desired ideas
ave once been deeply planted in
he mind and heart the pupil may
more safely be left to other inhu-
nee. But We 60 OIL the principle
hat almost anything will do for
'ur small and our primary schools.
Very often this argument has been
Ised by persons when inquiring of
ne for a teacher-''Our school is
mall and the scholars young andwe
10 not care to get an experienced or
veil educated teacher" They get
he cheapest teacher, But the cheap
st teacher, alas. is the costliest.-
Better to ,chers will toll hard to root
ut his errors from the minds Of tho
hildren and often toll in vain.
Get the best teachers for the
scholars, we say. And if
he district is so poor that they can.
ot afford to pay half as much to ed
cate the immortal souls Of their
hildren as they do for their tobacco
ct them have q good teacher one
,onth in the year if the money wont,
o further, rather than have a poor
eacher and a poor school the year
Ound.
The primary schooof Mrs. Davis
q tho village has shown the truth
t this principle. Every week of
er school was worth more than 6
,onths of many schools, Her chill.
rem love the school, love study, and
hat they learn they learn right.
But if We want good teachers we
lust pay them.
One Of our best educated teachers
aught last summer for 81 go a week. |
., 4 sha,, Oh, ,raut 70 m Grct o1oaS /