New-York tribune., 1879-11-29
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
EDUCATION IN NEW-EyGLAND.

To the Edtt0r or The FrtOuhe.
SIR: An important confirmation Of some OF the
views presented in my last communication on " Ed
ucation in New-England" as found IN bill
which was submitted to the Legislative Committee
OH Education while my manuscript was passing
through the Post Office. the anteliluvian condi-
ton of educational matters IN rural New-England
had not escaped the notice Of educators however
Ioath they might have been to make public their
observations But how TO alter it for the better
was and Is a very difficult problem to solve. Many
of the agricultural towns decreasing in popua-
tion and wealth The amount raised for educational
purp0sesis already all that can be afforded, and, in
many instances, barely suflices to furnish a poor
salary for poor teacher and to keep diapidated
school-houscs from tumbling down. Even if the
people OF the desired the best modern methods
of education they could not have them. any more
than they can have modern improvements" In
their old dwelling-houses or build their new homes
with brown stone fo1ts. But no state-no New
England State certa ny--can long endure this
mental dry rot 1t Is possible 20 live without
modern convcniences, but without modern intelli-
gence or the means of obtaining and mentally
dgestng IT, one should not dare 70 live in Northern
State. No democratic community can allow any
considerable part of its population TO rest content
edly or grumble discontentedly in relative igno-
rance. The first step toward removal Of the worst
defects in Massachusetts, was taken, very appro-
priately. by Mr.. J. W. Dickinson, Secretary of the
State Board of Education His views were embodied
in the aforementioned bill, and are sufficiently m
portant to merit brief statement
1t has been found by experience that n chief
reason Of tho rapid progress OF education during
recent years in the large towns and cities Of the
State is to be found in efficient supcrintendence.
Forty-fve superintendents now have In charge
2.2J3 public schools OF various grades while
3.6OJ pablic schools. mostly OF the lower grades,
are in charge only of town committees. The mem-
bers of these town committees ara chosen with
little or no reference to their qualifications for the
position there being in some towns in fact, very
few men possessing crude qualifications for
the place. and they give % school supervision only
the spare moments taken from their regular pur-
suits Without responsibility or adequate qualihca-
tion for their work. and with but little interest In
it, the result il what | have heretofore endeavOred
To characterize. And yet this inefficient supervision
costs nearly 500 per school, while the thoroughly
efficient work Of regularly salarisd superintendents
costs only 324 10 per school-the school committees
receiving no compensation where regular super
intendents are employed. The fundamental idea of
Mr. Dicknsons plan is TO employ the money now
unsatisfactory results, in tho payment of qualified
superintendents. This can be done, Of course olly
by a system of cooperation. His bill authorizes the
state Board to divide the State into convenient
sections containing not less than 100 schools each
and excluding towns now employing a super
intendent The school committees of the towns
contained in each section shall then unite. thrOu gh
their chairmen ami secretaries, and appoint a
snperintendsnt who shall hold Office for three
years IL is maintained tnat by means of these
suDerntendents, who mast possess certificates OF
aualifclton from the State BOIrl. the first Steps
in educational regeneration can be taken. Good
schOol-hOuses would be built for the money now
expended upon Inferior ones useless schoo-hOuses
of which there are many. would be abOlIshed the
number of teachers would b. lessened. AMI the
qualifications Of the remainder improved; good
text books woud replace inferior ones; and some
system would be introduced into the present dis
orderly methods Of teaching.
The defects of the plan, some Of which must be
Obvious. may iutly insure its defeat, but granting
that these can be amended. as perhaps they would
be with time and experience, it is donbtldl If che
towns are sufficiently aroused to the necessity for
improved education to permit their representatives
in the present Legislature 70 vote for the bill,
although much has been done during the rast
tion. TO prepare the people for 4 change Fru gal
farmers and other bucolic members of school
committees who hone for reelection or those who
aspire for election when their turn comes. will not
be very hasty about putting theE joint salaries into
the pockets of single man. The advantages TO
themselves are too indirect, compared with The
prospect of next years dollars Bur Mr.. Dckin-
sons BILL or some kindred substitute for II, must be
quickly adopted no wlthstandlng Inherent defects
and external opposition, II the reputation OF Massa-
oN - IN, haS nlI
What the ultimate solution of the problem OF
State education may be. It i not my purpose now
to consider; but there are murmurlngs IN the ar
which indicate that changes In popular sentl-
ment are in progress, and may soon bring about
more important alterations In our popular educa-
ton than any limited at in the above measure.
Granting that il is the duty of the State To provide
educational facl tiesand the reverse of this prop
osition can hardly become practical question dur
ing the present generatiOn-what are the limits of
this duty Why IL IL asked, for instance, should
the State support normal schools Teaching Is
now profession, dlstincively as law or divinity
but no one preteuds TO believe that the support OF
schools tor instruction IN these last two pursuits
can legitmately be thrown upon the State. The
benefit which the State ultimately receives from
normal school scholars Is strictly analogous to that
received from students in other professional schools
medicine, engineering. law, etc.-and the state
should not pay for their instruction ia the one
any more than in the other.
Again, the difference between our agricultural
cOmmunites on the one hand. and our commercial
and manufacturing communities on the other, is so
very great hat 10 not possible for the State 10 at
tempt 10 carry out any complete system OF educa-
ton without inlcting grave injustice either upon
the farmer or upon the manufacturer and merchant
The cities demand, and able to afford schools If
"a far higher grade than the farmer requires or
should be compelled To pay for. But il is the duty
of a state To be impartial toward all its citizens,
well i'm conferring the benefits of education in
the administration of justices and the only eduoa-
tion which the State, constituted, can confer
npartialy upon its citizens, is that amount which
children should receive IN the primary school, or
before the age at which the distinction between
rich and poor makes increased education possible
10 the one class and impossible tO the other. Up
point n Is questionable ii state should ever ven
ture Mr. DckinsOn's BILL II seems 10 me, is in har-
mony with this view. The inevitable outcome Of it
would be- that by degrees all primary education