Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-12-07
The District Schools.


ton is discussed not by doctrinaires but b.
those who have gained some experiments
knowledge of educational methods. Thes
discussions may not be characterized b.
scientific accuracy and completeness. Som
degree of error, or heresy even, may some
time find utterance in the meetings of thes,
primaries" but the way of real progress
and improvement is earnestly and honestly
even if rudely and awkwardly, sought. Ii
this associated search for improvement il
naturally happens that the experience o.
one instructor supplements the deficiency o.
another, and both lay the benefit of theii
experience at the feet of the novice, and SC
there results, measurably, an equalization
and an elevation of the standard of the
qualifications Of the common school teacher
In union there is strength. Lawyers, doc
tors and ministers have their bar, Their
medical, and their ministerial associations
devoted to the improvement of their mem
bers and to the elevation of the standard Of
their respective professions. By similar
agencies the work of common school teach.
ing, though not yet arrived at the honor and
dignity of profession, may yet be appre-
ciably improved. Then let these town and
county associations which have been formed,
with short rolls of membership, be persever-
ingly maintained and let other similar Or
CARNATIONS be formed in every town and
county in the state, and the machinery for
effective, progressive educational work will
be complete, and must stamp the impress of
its benefcent influence upon the institu-
tons of the state.
A communication from an experienced
teacher now in active service in the state
also appears in this paper, and others of a
similar character from various sources may
be expected from time to time. These hints
and suggestions are the sparks struck off in
drawing out the hot iron of young minds.
They have been wrought out on the anvil of
experience. Studied, digested and practic-
ally applied by the teacher, they may be
fashioned into the key which shall unlock
the portals to the long avenue of experience
through whose devious ways success must
be patiently and laboriously sought. All
this earnest educational work is most COM
mendable, and certain measure of good
may be reasonably expected from it. But
there are, nevertheless, reasons for serious
misgiving that the results achieved will
bear no satisfactory proportion to the cost
and the labor. These apprehensons arise
out of the weaknesses of the educational
system of the state, if the sort of go-as-you.
please arrangement under which Vermont's
school matters are "run," may be dignifed
with the name of system. This weakness
has its seat in the combined apathy, indif
ference, ignorance and penuriousness of
communities on school matters. 1t appears
conspicuously in the marked unftness of
school committees for their duties, in the in
efficiency or utter inutility of town supervi-
sion, aud eliminates in the general lack of
proper qualifications in the teachers, the
elimination being the legitimate progeny of
parsimonious committee management to
which supervision lends itself, willingly or
unwillingly as an accomplish. To these
general statements there are, in many COM
munities, marked and gratifying excep-
tions, but they correctly represent GER
tain salient features in the general educa-
tional situation in this state To state
the matter as it exists in practice, COM
mittees will not pay a fair price for compe-
tent teachers. To supply the schools with
certified instructors that will meet the re-
quirements of school committees in the
matter OF wages, superintendent have felt
obliged to lower the standard of qualifica-
ton to the answering, in some cases, of one.
half OF the questions prescribed for examna-
tions,-correct answers to the full number, or
abating at the most small percentage, be-
ing intended to indicate on the part of ap-
plicants for certificates to teach the posses
sion of suitable amount of book knowledge
to qualify them for their duties. The effect
of this misery policy has been to fill up the
district schools of the state, especially in the
smaller villages and farming districts, with
a lot of young teachers, girls for the most
part, whose knowledge of elementary SUBJ
jects alone is utterly insufficient They
should themselves be at a good grammar
school, or under the guardian wings of the
parent nest. This is fact to which every
old and qualified superintendent in the state
will furnish incontestible proof. This be-
ing the case, those heroic individuals en-
gagged in the berculean task of irving
to improve our district schools are ham
dicapped in their efforts by what in plain
language is the ignorance of those to whom
they chiefly address themselves. The farmer
must SOW his seed in ground well fertilized
and prepared to have any reasonable expec-
tation of harvesting a good crop. No merit
in the seed will atone for the lack of these
essential prerequisites. Just as useless, or
at least Improbable, is it to try to teach
boy or girl methods of instructing others
who is himself or herself ignorant of the
very subjects to be taught; it is in vain to
talk to person about the allied subject of
school discipline, which is at the very foun-
dation of successful teaching, if he is still
green as sapling in the essential task of
"ruling his own spirit" or in the no less i'm
portant matter of intellectual discipline.
Efforts at educational reform in this state
must be directed towards putting up the
bars let down by indifferent or inefficient
town supervision. This system of school
supervision is either farcical or vicious in
its general application. Under it incompe-
tency and inefIiciency in the teachers in
many towns is legalized by the granting of
certificates to persons disqualified by mani
fest unfitness. If thoroughly honest, COM
petent and fearless superintendent were
invariably elected this difficulty would dis
appear. They would be an effectual bar to
the narrow-minded and niggardly policy
which has pushed teachers wages down TO
Sl.50 per week in some cases and which
drives our best teachers out of the state
and fills their places with the merest tyros
in the matter of instruction. Teachers as.
sociations and individual workers devoting
their efforts solely to improvement in edu.
cational methods will make slow and unoer
tain progress If they leave untouched those
evils which lie at the very beginning of a
radical and permanent educational reform
in this state--the apathy and parsimony
OF communities, weakness and perversion
xrsnt.N. L..