Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-10-24

] On the first ot next month 4 new list of
| textbooks for use in the common schools of
| this State becomes biudiu. on superin.en-
/ dents and teachers We have received an
| anonymous circular from Bellows Falls
! which takes the trouble to say that the list
| l. not binding on anybody else, and quotes
I an apOcryphal expression from the late
/ Judge Steele 10 that effect. Now we do
| not know who wrote this circular, but it
sounds very much As We have heard book
| agent, who did not succeed talk. No mat
ter. We are disposed to think it is true
that the books recommended BY the Board
of Education are compulsory only to SUPER
intendents and teachers. but what will be
the use, can anybody tell Us. in inducing
conflict OF authority and 4 struggle of priv
llege or pure d0ggedness into every school
house in the State ? The books recon-
mended Will be adopted by part of the
scholars at the least: will there be any
sense or profit in having as many colorS in
our common school curriculum aS there
were in Joscph's coat
The Board Of Education was ORIGINALLY,
established more for the purpose Of securing
uniformity of text books than for anythin6
else. Before their official existence the use
iulneSs OF our public schools had been great
ly impaired by the difficulty OF classification
and the lack of familiarity on the part Of
teachers with q whole library Of hooks
dating from that day back to the ReyoIution
30 many Rotations could not be well heard
and many were the poor boys and girls who
felt certain sense Of shame ard outlaTrv
because their parents could not or womb
not put the means in their hands for rank
ing with their fellows. Since the present
method for securing uniformity has hoeD in
vogue, n statute has been enacted for DFo-
viding children Of INDECENT parents witb
proper text books at the public expenss
There is little or no excuse, therefore far
any mans taking advantage of Ms
right as citizen and of the .Roard's
lack OF authority over him, to save A few
pennies at the expense of his childrcn's ori-
ture, and to be odd and "ofi-h" at the ey-
pense Of the highest good of the whole
school.
As to the merits of'the new books. com.
pared with those about to be diSplacf.d ".
have no opinion. There are few men il, -,
active affairs of life not connected w;tb H.
schools who are capable Of Judging. N"st
OF US know that many of the old books ovs-
which we pored with 50 little comnlete nm.
derstandlng, were radically defective The
gave great many methods but very fe,S
reasons, and some Of the methods w. g
the most cumbersome and awkward L;nJ
We would give all the interest ON o,r - III
debts II we had been taught to commute ~
terest by practice instead Of by fndinr an,
what It Is on one dollar for the q;vep ~.
and time. and then multiplying hy The nun.
Der OF dollars. 1t stands to reason thai tev,
BOOKS as well as other things, in this ageof
tENehtlcn and progress, should imDrov.
They have improved and no man of forty ar
even thirty years Of age can now visit onr
public schools (Which all Of US ought N IL
more than We find time to dol yiihout bc.
ing astonished at the facility of thennnii,
at their grasp Of difficult problems and 10
completeness of their UNDERSTANDING Tbo
whole theory on which our present -.
books seem to have been prepared has - -
less for stufhng than for explanation bouoa
we believe they are an improvement o., ~
old, and intrinsieally entitled 10 the en- a,,e
hdenee and adoption Of the public. ''"
But there l. another consideration -.
thorlty must rest somewhere, and WI,
better than in a board Of gentlemen noaeit
an oil whom make, or have made. tescb;n
their profession? After careful evn,.'i2 |
ton oil every book presented, they aSreed =
recommending certain list. ar'J u n
may not agree as to whether it il H. -.
one OF not, and i would be too mrct -
expect that the publishers of the spnni"I 70
BOOKS would entertain the hishes, ros.,-"i
i9r decision which cuts of their 49,
but somebody must decide, and We oi P.oh's.
.ne value oil uniformity 50 great H..
II convinced that the board he - r.e Ssei'
lhenueu the worst instead Of the -.
we would advise acquiescenee 49, IS.,
pretends that they have, howavsr N9oody