Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-11-29
The Normal Schools.

Principals Consnt and Edison, of the John
son and Randolph Normal schools respec-
lively, explained to the joint committee on
education last week the condition OF those
institutions, their relation to the state and
the course of instruction pursued in each
BY an act of the legislature of 1878 the nor.
NAL schools at Randolph, johnson and Cas-
Teton are continued till August, 1890 The
state superintendent of education dominates
and approves the principal and first assist
ant for each school. Two courses Of study
are prescribed. The state superintendent
with the trustees of each school, determines
the studies which each course shall contain,
but the study of foreign languages, ancient
and modern, is absolutely prohibited. Elk
aminations are made for admission and for
graduation, conducted by boards of which
the state superintendent is member. Each
town in the state is entitled to scholar.
ship. Scholarships vacant may be assigned
TO other towns, but no town can have more
than ten scholarships in one term and the
total number of scholarships in the three
schools shall not exceed the number of towns
in the state. For each scholarship the state
pays twelve dollars half yearly. That is,
each town in the state may have pupil at
one or the other of these schools, and the
state pays the tuition at the rate of twenty
four dollars year. If any town or towns
do not take the benefit of this provision, it
may be assigned to any other town or towns,
with the limitation that no town shall at
any term have more than ten scholars in the
schools at the states expense for tuition,
and the entire number of these benefciaries
in all the schools shall not exceed the num-
Der of towns in the state. The candidate
for state aid must be fifteen years of age,
pass specified examinations and declare a
purpose to complete at least one of the two
courses of study in the normal school and
to teach in the common schools of the state
for two years after graduation. In addi-
ton to the tuition paid by the state, five
hundred dollars are appropriated annually to
each school, and if the trustees furnish and
use like sum, independent of any other
sources of income, the state gives an addi-
tional five hundred dollars. These, we be-
lieve, are the chief features of the states
connection with these schools and their re-
sponsibility to them. During the last bien-
NAL term Castleton received from the
state S4,0S2. The principal, Mr.. Leaven-
worth, was not present at the hearing last
evening to represent his school, The re.
ports of attendance and of state scholar
ships are for the last year only, the school
having been for that time under Mr.. Leav-
enworth's care. The aggregate attendance
for the year, by quarters, is put at three
hundred and ninety-six, of which somewhat
less than one-half, one hundred and fifty-six,
were beneficiaries of the state, the school
receiving therefor from tho state treasury
six dollars quarter, or 1896. The johnson
school has received from the state for the
biennial term $780, of which $1,000 was
for scholarships representing an aggregate
quarterly beneficiary attendance of four
hundred and fifteen, which we understand
from the principal is the chief resource of
this school. Randolph has received 1896
for two years, of which 5,l96 was for schol-
arships representing total quarterly at
tendance of eight hundred and sixty.six
state benefciaries, which we understand is
about three fourths of the entire attendance.
By Mr.. Conant's showing, the total revenue
of his school, including state aid, is about
S2,l00. The outgo for assistants and incl
dental expenses is over 81, l00 leaving less
than 81 900 per annum for the compensa-
ton of the principal. Mr.. Edson's figures
seemed to indicate gross income not far
from "a 200, of which about 81, 500 is paid
to assistants. The balance, after paying in.
cidental expenses, is his salary. There can
be no impeachment of the faithfulness of
the labors of these teachers, either in the
discharge of their trust to the state or of
their duty to their pupils. BY accepting
state aid they claim that they lose a large
patronage that would come to them if as
fitting schools they were allowed to teach
the languages and to exercise a control over
the course of study, making it less normal
and more academical. They adhere rigidly
to the requirements OF the state in this par
ticular. While the attendance is pretty
well distributed over the state, it appears
that the support of each school comes sub
stantially from the county in which it is
Standardization from Rutland, johnson
from Lamoille, Randolph from Orange, al
though Windsor and Washington are each
largely represented in the latter Since the
beginning these schools have graduated
about one thousand teachers, of which five
hundred and ninety-three taught in the
schools of the state the last year. These
schools now ask for more money from the
state, for Libraries, for apparatus, and for ad-
ditional teachers. Normal schools for train
ing teachers are quite as essential as med
ical or legal schools for doctors or lawyers,
or theological schools for ministers. Schools
will not make amends for native capacity,
but they greatly assist it. With regard to
os"sS "iN w ehooO oihai oShooirj VIC nave
always felt that, as in union there is strength,
so il the state would give its aid to one
school, having one library, one set of ap-
paratus, sustaining one model school for the
training of its studentteachers, with one
strong, adequately-paid head, aud one com.
petent corps of teachers, instead Of dividing
small sum among three feeble institutions,
an effective beginning in normal work in
the right way would be made. We have
found no good reason TO change our view.
1t may be questioned If some of our high
schools and academies are not making with
out state aid just as good and many more
teachers than these normal schools which,
after all, are only academies. 1t may be
doubted if this wholesale state beneficiary
system which is relied on to fill these
schools secures the right kind of material
for teachers. All the information furnished
is ex-parte. Like the incongruous mass
known as the educational system" Of the
state, it needs sitting by disinterested, i'm.
partial men. We believe, with everything
else pertaining to the schools, this matter of
the normal schools should be referred to
neutrality-suspicious. commission TO examine
aud report to the next Legislature, and that
everything should remain in statu quo until