Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-10-06
Report OF the state superintendent Of
Education,

The biennial report of the State Superin-
tendent of Education, Hon. Justus Dartt is
an interesting document. The work of the
two years covered by the report has been di-
rected largely to awakening an interest on
the part of the people in the improvement of
the common schools. BY the last census there
were in Vermont II, 1913 people over ten years
of age who could not read, and 10 S37 who
could not write. The educational work press
ing upon the state, the superintendent says
is to remove this iliteracy and give intelli
gence in its place. About sx-sevenths of the
scholars attend the ungraded district school,
As whole the common schools are not now
accomplishing what the best interests of the
people and state demand. Among the many
causes for this inetfiCiency he cites the fol-
lowing That the number of native born
children has decreased that the people have
gradually gathered around business centres
and that many rural districts are thinly pop
ulated that schools are small, scholars
young, real estate deprecated, taxes high
and the tendency of the times is to employ
cheap teachers that school houses are neg
lectcd, and that the work of the district
schools is unsatisfactory. The sentiment of
all parties interested in educational progress
is that we need the same plain, sound com
mon sense applied to school management
which successful men apply to business. The
fundamental branches should be first taught
in the common schools The superintendent
suggests that the textbooks on arithmetic
should be simplified and the practical parts
| made more prominent. The great majority
of our scholars have a necessity on them to
understand science, and it must come to the
front. The superintendent urges home train
ing for the youth as an essential aid to that
of the school room. intellectual progress is
determined largely by moral habits. The
greatest cause of failure in schools is lack of
discipline.
In regard to academies and colleges he says
that liberal things are being devised for their
improvement. Vermont has academies which
are not second to any in the country.
Statistics show that for the last school
year there was expended for teachers wages,
fuel and incidentals, buildings and repairs,
the sum of S47G,47S OS. The three normal
schools had $l4, 7GS paid them by the state
during the two years covered by the report.
1t is desirable that normal schools should be
wholly supported and controlled by the state
The superintendent has held educational
meetings and institutes in all the counties
The following statistics taken from the re-
port for the last school year ending March 81,
1882, are interesting;
Number Of school districts 23ss
Number of common schools, 2527
Number of children attending common
schools, $4,000
Number of days attendance Of each scholar 8l5
Aggregate total attendance on common
schools, 6,O2s,9I3
Average daily attendance, 47,77g
Amount of money divided TO districts, $l19,67O OG
Amount of money raised by tax, 37i ,35i "a
Amount of teachers wages, including
board, 3sl .6O7 SO
Amount Of all school expenditures, 476, Ats, Os
Average weekly cost, Is
Number Of male teachers, 653
Number of female teachers, 3,723
The figures for 1881 are about the same.
The report contains cogent and pertinent
suggestions, extracted from reports of town
| superintendents, mainly urging longer terms
of schools, improvement in school laws and
the adoption of the town system of schools
and adjustment of the district system.