The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-06-24

oehOOio NbiiC Vic stdnuuTu WAS 1nuCn low
er, and the progress made very small in
comparison to that of to-day.
The district system was adopted as Anne
rican In design and application, and Is still
In force In our midst to great degree. But
the day has gone by for plodding along in
this slow and easy manner of years ago.
we live In fast age, q day of fast travel
and of lightning telegraph. We want
rapidly In everything and need It in
school more than we did in former times.
In some parts of the country rapid strides
have been made In the system of education,
while in other portions the system has gone
back in the same ratio. In our state we
have made some progress but have not
kept up with other states. Our CONNER
cial relations have changed materially in
the past years; farmers cannot control the
markets as they once could. The world
controls 1t all and we must submit to be
carried along by the tide of progress. The
farm-hOuses were thicker in some portions
of our state twenty-five years ago than they
are now The war broke out and many of
our young men went to the front This
necesstated the old men STAYING at home.
They bought the farms and in two or three
years farming became so profitable that
what they had taken out of patriotism and
duty they were now glad to hold from
| B'thiih'l hhOtiNtS. f'lIlft anu unTlnV tnHT
time the population of our small towns
have diminished while the larger towns have
likewise increased. The bounds of our
country district schools have become per-
manent despite the diminishing of their
inhabitants, and we must deal with them
as they are. we are paying more for bet
ter management; we have better teachers
than formerly, not excepting the old rule
of male teachers in the winter. We have
bright and capable ladies to-day who arc
| just as able to teach.
One OF the greatest obstacles we have to
surmount is the brief length of our school
year. Last year it amounted to twenty.
three weeks and fraction over. Vermont
does not rank in this regard with other
States. Massachusetts, New York and
Connecticut and others have larger school
years, while Maine and New Hampshire
have less The speaker did not believe the
schools OF Vermont were so superior to
those OF other States where they have ten
or dozen weeks more school in the year.
IL must be heightened, but how can it be
done Here we have taxes of 300 per cent.
on the grand list and poor teachers at that.
The district system has done its work and
should be abolished.
Massachusetts has done it and seven
towns only have gone back to the old sys-
ten, while reports come from them that
quarrcls and personal chickering's trouble the
district and impede the progress of educa-
ton. Reports from Connecticut are to the
same effect
We are now wasting one holf of the
money expended for our common schools.
This may be a broad statement but, said
the speaker, am prepared to give the facts.
Ncrmonters have the reputation of being
sllrcwd and good economzers, but are
we judicious in our education Last year
twO-thrds only of the scholars in the State
attended school during the twcnty-three
weeks of its session. One-third of the time
was wasted from the scholars absent. Four
fitths of the scholars were between the ages
OF five and fifteen years. Their time is
worth but little out of school and many are
kept out for frivolous reasons. This is not
economy, and the speaker believed it was
possible for them to go to school.
The great trouble is in having our dis.
tricts so small and as consequence ouI
schools have but few in numbers Do We
make money by having our school-houses
so near that all the scholars can 70 home
to dinner !! Not at all. Small schools
weaken the interests of our school system
In travelling through, on tour, in our State
the speaker passed thirteen school-houses
in going twelve miles. 1t has been fount
, i'll the experiences of past years thai
those scholars who come two miles tt
school give better attention to their studies
than those who live next door. The dis
tricts in Vermont are smaller than any
, other State in New England excepting
, Rhode Island, and in that, but little less
than ours. There is no use of this and it il
: against our own interests.
Another source of leakage in our expend
lures is in employing too many new teach
ers. Last year there were thirty-nine hun
dred different teachers employed in oul
State and only one thousand taught twice
in the same district. 1t takes two week.
, for new teacher to get the school into
working order and, on an average, three
weeks are taken before anything is accom-
) plished. There is no record of classes KEEP
in our schools and as a consequence
teacher takes one-fourth of the term t.
commence work. Children get a frag
mentary education in this plan of new
teachers every term and we pay one-fourtl
of the money appropriated in breaking il
, the children in two-thirds of our schools
!. This we ought to save and we can. AL
should unite in practicing this economy
We want the subject of abolishing til,
| school district system discussed. Equa
taxation must give equal advantages as
right, and those who live in the poorer dis
tricts should have the same advantages O
Y educating their children as those who reside
f in the weather districts. On the contrary
taxation is very unequal in every part o
. Vermont except in Grand Isle county, ant
1t is felt in our poorer schools. Vernon
: is not poor but is able to do away with thi
= old system and start on new and bette
, plan. Rutland may be the loser becaus
. Weather towns must pay more, but it is
i | nf nj IN In t,,1a Stata
Burlington is willing to do it, and tn
4 speaker believed the other larger towns o
the State will be also.
The Secretary urged upon the teacher
g the duty to agitate this question at ever,
opportunity that they might have, and sal,
this was one of the best ways to advanc
the interests of our common schools. Bet
ter to take new ground than to hang to oil
!, associations when they draw Ills backward
It in the march of progress.
DISCUSSION on ENGLISH GRAMMAR
It LEAvENwORTH's REMARKS.
n Mr.. Lcavenworth stated his views of thi
: study IN very concise and practical man
ner. He had long since learned to look up
on the study as science and an art, an
considered 1t as having broader signif
canoe than is shown on the outside. III
believed the most important part of gram
mar was learned in the nursery if learne
>. Alright, for if we get the proper use O
[. words well established there, it il grea
a and fundamental part gained. The dr.
- ideas of grammar should not be mechanic
&c ally taught, but the teacher should have
II correct idea of the study in mind, and kno,
how to teach 1t with but little recourse (
the text book. He considered grammar a
one of the prominent studies of our CON
o mon school, and should be used as one O
It the very first. Scholars who have been i
It school long time hardly have the correc
k use of the mother tongue. They have dal
Is blcd in chemistry and philosophy, but d
&c not know how to construct common sen
N tence. The great point thought of year
;. ago was to parse, and consequently faile
IS in giving requisite instruction or excitin