Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-04-18
Our Common Schools.

We give below IL communication on
Common Schools. evidently brought out by
the article of DR.. Hoskins, reprinted from
the Watchman and Journal some weeks
ago.
1t would seem that our correspondent,
ut least, has u tolerable knowledge Of the
common vernacular tongue" and rather
forciblc way of using it, and though edu-
Gated in our common schools, can hardly
be classed with the three-fourth of ILL
educated" men and women, which it is as
serted is the proportion among the men
ard women engaged in rural occupations
MIR. EDIToR:-A lac writer has esti-
mated that "lhree- lourths of the people in
the common schools come out with no ade-
quate knowledge of reading or writing"
Unless he has had rs good an opportunity
of surveying the schools as our State Super
intendent, | must think such an estimate
enormous. If Mr.. Conant should back him
in this assertion, | must submit, but !
think it too big.
AS l cannot speak Of towns remote, am
obliged to take the point of view about
home. Have Just laid down pamphlet OF
800 pages of statistics, compiled by II Pom
fret boy, who pushed up from these
same faulty common schools through aca-
deny and college TO the head of the de
parlment which was his specially. His
Report of the Census" in Rhode Island
.hows - clear head and hard work.
When our boys went 10 the army as vol
unteers, Pomfret lads were picked out TO
Urite, because they were noted for rapid
and elegant penmanship. Half dozen
soon rose from tie ranks. They WIRE only
taught in our common schools. One OF
ON boys is writing now for city news
paper. Some of them speak good English.
We hear them discuss questions with col
Iegemen and see no greater deficiency
than one might expect from different pro-
fessions We have as small and po, /
school houses as there are in the, country
perhaps, but by the best luck ever given t.
II Town, we secured Il teacher for term OF
years, and now we begin to see results
results tell, They cannot be put down ON
paper, nor weighed by avordupois, nor
cleal ly stated in a paragraph, because hon.
cSty and honor and industry and princpIC
are too fine substances to be analysed will
coarse tools. Such teachers are us modest
rs they are wise. 1t is the teacher who
makes the school Give us of the best men
for teachers, and the school-houses ant
other helps are of secondary Importance
The pride of our common schools is that
they send out g0od men and Women; goo(
fathers and mothers, sons and daughters
1t is true hey might do more and better
work, but they have educated good citizens
and good neighbofs.
This has been done we confess with very
great scarcity of convcniences. But where
there is a eUiU there is Il wag. Ii the pa
rent stands firmly b h nd the teacher-sec.
that the pupil is in his place every day
has the needed books; if the parent speaG
of the teacher with respect, and treat hin
us an equal and friend, there will bt
smaller need of severe discipline in the
school room.
remember Il small winter school where
it was an exception to miss q single child
from his place. The SHOWS were very deer
but the parents brought the children or
sledS, and came for them ut o'clock, in
the same way. found in visiting thest
homes that one man sat down in the ev, n.
ing and questioned his boys as to what
they had learned that day. The catechsn
was rs hard for the teacher as for the boy
We do need better houses, bet er schools
books, black boards, and all the little help.
which make teaching so pleasant, bu
above all we need teachers.
We would not let novice mend oul
watch, or shoe valuable horse, but W.
do allow those who are wholly ineXperi
enced in their work to teach little children
A work of such immense Importance tha
it requires all the tact, patience, and in
genuity of loving parents to succeed. Car
this work be turned over lightly to foolish
and ignorant teachers, who only care t.
work fora single term and then leave
satisfied if they have " kept school unc
earned little money? V.
Pomfret, April -, 1877.