The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-02-24

Tor the education OF their children, seem
bent upon contriving chow not to do It,"
The thing, to which wish especially 10
call your attention now Is practical de-
feet in our school system itself, viz the
want of any proper supervision.
This matter of supervision Is a partlcu-
larry important one in connection with
system of Graded schools. Under such a
system there Is q a certain fixed amount of
work assigned to each grade, no scholar
being permitted to pass from lower to a
higher department, until he appears to have
perfected himself in the work of the lower. |
In our District we have five Primary schools
from which, when duly prepared, the schol-
ara pass into five Secondary, then into the
intermediate, and so on to the Grammar and !
the High. II is evident that each one of
these five Primary schools must be well
conducted and that they must all he CON
Quoted in a substantially uniform manner
or there will be confusion at the end of the
year, when class should be promoted
from each into the Secondary schools No
five teachers can be found, who, left to
themselves with simply general directions,
will so conduct their respective schools,
that the scholars can mlngle to the best adj
vantage in the higher grade. Neither can
the desired end he attained by the occa-
sional visits of various members of the
School Board Some one must have con-
slant and minute supervision of all these
schools, visiting them not once or twice
each term, but two or three times every
week, staying long enough at each visit 10
learn something about the school, making
his presence so familiar to the scholars,
that they shall not be half scared out of their
wits and made to answer questions in a
semi-idioiic manner whenever he does APP
pear, - checking the tendency of some
teachers to push their scholars on rapidly
rather than thoroughly, and squirting 9th
ers up to greater ambition and energy
and in general seeing to it that each school
Is kept cOnformed to the standard set for
all.
Furthermore, it is only by means Of this
constant and minute supervision that we
can be reasonably sure Of having good
teachers. Neither the ability nor the hr-
| fulness of a teacher can m fully tested by
| half-hours visit once It lAicr Il term.
| Examinations for promotion at the close Of
the year afford no fair test : and IL they
did, supposng that they showed the teacher
to have been wofully Inefficient, there
would he left the uncomfortable reflection
that he Or she had been permitted for a
whole year to DO mischief which could
never be entirely undone. In order to avoid
such result some one must have thorough
aud minute knowledge of each teachers
work, so that he may approve those who
are capable and faithful, advise those who
only need little helping to make them
thoroughly competent, and procure the
early dismissal of those who are incompc-
tent. Without this careful supervision,
carried into all its departments, Graded
school loses a very large proportion of its
advantages.
But such supervision requires ability,
faithfulness, energy and a large eXpendi-
turc of time on the part of him who may
exercise it. Although, therefore, MeOretac-
ally the rules and regulations of our District
are right in harmony with the necessities
of the case, since they provide for just such
supervision on the part of the President
of the School Board yet practically they
amount to very little, when you place ir
this responsible Office men who cannot pos
sibly perform its duties. In the earlier his
tory of our Graded schools the District was
fortunate in securing the services of the
Rev. DR.. Aiken, who had, think, largely
withdrawn from the active duties of hi
profession, and was, therefore, able to Civ,
due amount of time and attention to thu
schools. For the last three years you hav,
claimed my services as President of thu
Board of Trustees. l am deeply sensible o
the honor which you have done me. l an
glad to render any service, which can rem
der, in connection with the public schools
consider it my duty, as public teache
of religion, to interest myself in the caus
of popular education. And yet | was yer,
unwilling to assume the office in the frs
place, and have very unwillingly continue
to hold it, simply because could by n
possibility find time for the proper pei
, Torrance of its duties without neglectin
other duties, which have a prior clair
. upon me. These other duties | coul
not neglect; neither have been able t
, spare Thousand dollars n year fo
, the purpose of hiring an assistau
in my parochial work, so that might hav
t time to supervise the schools, as the neces
stiles of the case demand, and as the rule
. of the District provide. The result ha
been, that, although / claim to know nor
r about the schools than any one outside tn
, corps of teachers knows, neither nor an
7 other person has any such knowledge O
, ought to be had. have consented to r,
Q main three years in this somewhat falls
position, simply because | was assured
: those who ought to know, that there VIZ
e no one else who had any considerab
b. knowledge of educational matters, VIII
:, could spare any more time for tn
I, supervision than could. Howevt
: that may be, feel that | can n
q longer hold a position, the responsibilities
: of which it is impossible for me to discharg
r And in this connection have the permi
n sion of the Rev. Mr.. johnson TO say, tn,
G he regards his supervision of the schools {
c the Town in the same light in which r.
c gard my relation to those of the Grade
!, District. Although the supervision Of
= town superintendent need not be so minu
C as that of the superintendent of Grade
It schools, it ought to be far more minu
J, than it can he made by clergyman, WI