St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-06-27
Text Books.

say nothing of the intellectual welfare
of our children.
The time has passed when it is con-
sidered allowable for scholars to take
to school whatever books they may
chance to possess, thus causing multi
plicity of classes and yet there are
such a multitude and variety of good
books upon the market, and their claims
are pressed with so much ability and
persistency by enterprising agents, that
it is plain to be seen that the state is in
danger of being involved in great diff
ficulty. The last Legislature cOnsid-
cred the question solved when they
delegated to each town the power to
appoint three persons to select books to
be used for the next five years. This,
at first sight, looks like legislation high
ly favorable to the people. 1t seems
democratic, leaving this great interest
in the hands of those who have to pay
the bills. But is it SO? VIII it lessen
taxes ? Will it secure uniformity, grant
ing uniformity to be desirable as is very
generally admitted
We hardly see how either of these
ends can be secured under the present
law. If we are to have different set
of books for each town they must neces-
sarily be more expensive, inasmuch as
the sale will be more limited. Our
people are constantly changing their
place of residence, frequently going
from one town to another. Must they
change books every time they enter
another town Children often attend
school in other than their own districts :;
must those near the boundaries change
books every time they go to school in
another town9
Again, we have fractional districts,
composed of families living in different
but adjoining towns. There are forty
one such districts in this county, ac-
cOrding to the last school report. The
town of st. JOhnsbury contains four
such districts, and every town in the
county, with one exception, has at least
one.
Now supposing children composing
the schools in these fractional districts
bring different books-as many differ
ent sets as the towns represented, what
oh al
those scholars possess, allowing that
the teachers understand all the differ
ent books and can do good work with
them? Remembering that there are
forty-one such fractional districts in
this county, with proportionately
large number in the state, it becomes
matter of no little importance.
Many of the scholars in our district
schools attend the academies and high
schools one or more terms during the
year. Must these be required to pur-
chase new books? There seems to be
no other way under the proposed ar
rangement.
If neither cheaper books nor uniform
ity can be secured by carrying out the
strict letter of the law, what relief have
the people?
The superintendent at their annual
meeting, foreseeing these disadvanta-
ges, very properly took upon them
selves the responsibility of calling a
public convention of the text book
committees for the whole county. This
convention, agreeing unanimously that
uniformity is desirable and that they
ought to labor to secure it appointed
subcommittee on the various branch
es, who are to report at subsequent
meeting to be held at St. Johnsbury on
June Both.
1t is rumOred that some of the CON-
-. -: :. an the more important branches
anu IL Is desirable, UOUu on,-s:- lo +r,,o
cheapness and uniformity, to use tb,
same text books in every town in Gale
donna county, then vast responsible,
rests upon the convention so soon (,
assemble. By adjusting this matter
ana agreeing upon a uniform set OF
books for the whole county, they will
confer great and lasting benefit upon
the people.
lhey have it in their power to secure
good books at reasonable rates. and to
establish a uniform system which will
be OF lncalculable advantage to the in
Uellectual development of the children
and youth.
The academies, whose teachers an
PrecIate more than Others perhaps. the
disadvantages of having a different set
Oh books for each town, with most COM
mendable unanimity have signified
their Willingness and anxiety even to
adopt such books as the convention
may agree upon.
80 from whatever standpoint we viev
this text book question, we cannot fail
TO see that uniformity in this comfy i
lmpeTatively demanded.
We ought to have the same booLs
throughout the state, but since this i
impossible let us do the next best tb;no
and secure county uniformity Nor
would this seem a very difficult matter
WIN SO many books of Acknowledged