Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-10-24

aggregate attendance, among the var
| ious school districts. The bad effect of
| breaking up a school for week, and in
some instances it must occur during the
last half, or near the close of a term was
serious objection, and from want
of uniformity an injustice to
some districts. The conclusion on the
whole was, which of course must be re-
garded as the views of the State Board,
that the present law regulating teachers
Institutes discriminates against the dis
trict in the distribution of the public
money, in paying for services not rem
+ dered and in the injurious effect upon
the school, from closing it for whole
week during term time. To obviate
| these objections several notifications, or
alterations of the law were prepared,
reducing the terms of county institutes
to two days, to be held only in the win
| ter-teachers to attend, if during a short
| session, without loss of time, and author
izing teachers to add to the total atten-
dance for the term as many days of at
tendance as shall equal the daily average
attendance multiplied by the number of
days spent by the teacher in attending
the institute, this latter provision secur-
ing districts against loss of public
money. Another provision suggested
was to require the Secretary to hold
three State Institutes annually, of three
weeks each, in different parts of the
State, during the spring and fall when
but few schools are in session, and also
to cOnfne the examination of teachers
for institute certificates to these State
institutes and to such only as attend
them through the entire session. With
| these notifications it was thought the in
stitutG system would work well and ac
cOmplish all its friends claimed for it, fur
nishing a large number of teachers bet
ter qualified for their work than can be
secured under existing laws.
The Secretary then proceeded to for
tifY his position as to the importance of
teachers institutes by giving some brief
extracts from the opinions Of State
Superintendent of Public Instruction
! and secretaries of State Boards of Edu-
cation of other States. A review of the
present method Of examining teachers in
| this State was next presented, and CO.
piOus extracts from the laws and praC-
tees of other States, including some
much younger than Vermont, were read
to show that some of the requirements
| complained Of in our laws are not in ad-
vance, or hardly up to the standard of
the States referred to. AS this is matter
which will soon appear in the SeCretary's
forthcoming report, we will not further
allude to it as this time. 1t was shown
that the class of persons not qualified to
pass these examinations. as applicants,
has grown less each year, and that the
proportion of those passing had increased
thirty-cight per cent in siXyears. 1t mad
I r1lpi
a higher standard of qualification of
teachers had been attained that the
fOOdwOOd of the teachers calling had
been shut out, that q good law for tnA
creasing the efficiency Of our schools can
be enforced, and that the State was
heartily in favor Of the law and in sym
pathv with those superintendent who
honestly and impartiaIly enforce it.
The normal schools were represented
as presenting an improved condition.
The whole number of students was given
at 81, of which 303 were graduates, and
1871 taught last year. 4 great need Of
dialctcic teachers is felt in these schools,
said the Secretary. The Burlington
schools had teachers from all of the
normal schools. The scholarship is good
but the methods Objectionable.
The most important feature of this ad-
dress was its advocacy, of the ''tOWn
system, as it is called, as provided for
in the law of 1870. The present law
was deemed deceptive, and should be
amended so as to allow towns that have
adopted the town system to vote again,
or reverse this decision every five years
if they see fit to do so; and leaving
towns to determine 10y vote at March
meetings the number of primary
schools for the year ensuing, or for five
years. That the speaker was fully con
WINGED Of the superiority of the town
system over the present district system,
there could be no doubt from his argu-
mcnts 1t would dispense with over
LOO school officers to begin with. The
statistics. presented, showed ninetY-threc
districts. without schools, tWenty-six by
vote Of the districts, and 107 registers
not returned. There had been 246 terms
with an average of only five pupils 1904
with ten. 1929 with fifteen, 1892 with
twenty 1t was we'll argued that whilst
the expense was increased by so many
small schools the ratio of usefulness
was diminished. One instance was
given where an entire term was devoted
by teacher to one pupil only, a little
girl nine years of age. 1t required no
argument to prove the disadvantage of
too small schools or the benefits to be
derived both to towns and scholars in
consolidation, so far as is practicable.
1t is evident, and we quote the opinion
of the Secretary, that the reluctance
which has been manifested in adopting
the town system, has arisen from the
want of q thorough knowledge Of it.
With one or two important amendments,
it was thought the law would become
more popular and the system be gener-
ally adopted 1t was evident from the
remarks Of the speaker that the present
town supervision is but impcrfeCtly per-
formed, and that the sense of statistical
information is to a great degree incOm-
plete and falls far short of a compliance
with the law. Town and district clerks.
as well as superintendent, often neglect
their duties, and the result is, that ma
chine which is only valuable when it is
run perfectly, loses portion of It's use
fulness and does not pay either for the
engineering or lubricating.
The State pay of superintendent,
fixed in times of low prices, was regard
ed as too low to secure the services of
competent men. Some towns pay an
additional sum, but the instances were
rare where any adequate compensation
had been provided. He recommended
making superintendent custodians of
registers, and divOrcing it entirely from
town clerks, the superintendent and
selectmen to be the board to distribute
the public money. Disregard of law in
the distribution was one of the present
evils. It was declared that the property
Of the State should educate the children
of the State; that equal taxation should
secure equal advantages, and that State
best compass these ends. The inequal-
ity of the present system of supporting
schools was illustrated by an exhibit Of
the highest and lowest rate per cent.
raised on the grand list by any district,
in any town, of each OF the several
counties, which was as follows: