Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-10-16
For the VERMONT FARMER.
NORMAL SCHOOLS.

AT the present pay of teachers in this
state very few become competent through
experience; many apply for a teachers ccr-
titicato before they are old enough to under
stand how to manage children, and before
they are qualified to teach. The superin-
tendeut grants them license because they
have engaged a school Of a few small schOl-
ars and no competent teacher will take such
a school. They commence their school and
keep their time out, but fail in everything
else. After one or two more similar at
tempts they leave the work for more profit
able aud less skillful labor. On the other
hand the successful teacher learns what he is
to teach as well as how he is to teach it, and
being old enough to comprehend the nature
of his scholars he makes every term success
His fame, for It's worthy fame, becoming
known, he is engaged in the largest and
wealthiest districts or, as many do, he goes
West into broader field.
That the normal schools are doing good
work in preparing teachers for their compli-
Gated task is admitted by all acquainted
with the matter. The state has literally
given appropriations to sustain them, and
each school is fully patronized by students
They will of course be continued but wheth-
er the number remains as at present, reduced
to one, or increased to thirteen, will be de-
cided l suppose by our legislature this fall.
If normal schools are better than others
for educating teachers; if it is profitable to
support three normal schools which graduate
but few scores of pupils each year, then it
will pay to have thirteen in the state, soon
enabling us to say that all teachers in Ver-
mont shall have state license. Doubtless
it will not be found practicable to support
thirteen schools devoted entirely to normal
training, but a normal department united
with some good academy or high school
would do nearly as well as one doing normal
work entirely. With normal school in
each county many would attend who now do
school. Only few of the most energetic
of the young men and women at a distance
from a normal school receive practical in
structions in teaching, and those as soon as
they graduate leave for more profitable fields
OF labor so that Illinois and Ohio really get
the benefit of the appropriation we give to
school purposes
But would the appropriation which the
state gives amount to any thing If divided
among so many? With a normal school or q
normal department in each county where
state licenses would be granted, the need Of
teachers institute would be done away
with, and the money used to support them,
with what is now granted to normal schools,
would pay the tuition of those who graduate
and books for all, and by abolishing insti-
tutes the time spent by the secretary Of the
board Of education would be but little more.
Vermont has been rapidly marching on.
ward for the last few years in educational
matters, and though there are yet several
states in advance Of us we are proud of the
work done at our schools and academies.
The time seems ft for some definite change
in our system. Our schools should be con-
solidated by some method, making them
large, not only in the number of scholars
composing them, but the grand list support
ing them. Then with sufficient facilities for
educating teachers good school will be the
rule and not the exception.
NORMAL.
Windsor County, October 1874.