The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-11-29
A ComprehensIye school Bill.

This summary of the school bill is
from an editorial in the Boston journal
of Monday THE Vermont house has
passed school bill reported by the com.
mittee on education, which is very
comprehensive measure, and the most
important business of the session. Its
minuteness in points of detail may be
inferred from the fact that it contains
nearly 300 sections, but it seems to be O
symmetrical and well balanced measure,
in spite of its great length. Vermont
has already State superintendent Of
education, but, as the st. Adams Mes.
senger expresses it, he has wandered up
and down the State without help, and
unable to connect with the schools in
the remotest degree The purpose Of
the bill now under consideration is to
supply the requisite machinery to put
the entire school system of the State I'M
der definite and centralized control
The State superintendent is to be elected
biennially by the Legislature, and is to
hold teachers institutes, deliver lectures,
confer with teachers and school officers
and investigate the condition of the
schools. There are to be appointed by
the Governor, with the approval of the
Senate, School Supervisors for each
county, at a stated salary, each ofwhom
is to have immediate supervision of the
schools of his county, the condition OF
the school houses and other details OF
school administration. The qualifica-
tions of teachers are to be determined
by certificates issued by the Board OF
Trustees of Normal Schools and by ex-
aminations in questions prepared by the
State Superintendent. Women are Civ
en- the same right as men to vote and TO
hold Office at school meetings. Each
town is required to maintain one or
more schools, and when divided into
school districts, school in each district.
Provision is made for graded schools
and for instruction in the higher branch
es. The school age is fixed at from five
to eighteen years, inclusive, and child
rem between the ages of eight and four
teen are required to attend school at
least twenty weeks in each year.
Text books are to be selected by coun-
ty boards, of which the County Super
visor is chairman. They are to be sup
piled to pupils at ten per cent. above
the publishers contract prices, and are
TO be furnished to delinquent scholars at
the discretion of the school officers. No
public money can be distributed to a
school district which has not maintained
a school for twenty-four weeks, and the
distribution is diminished or increased
in proportion TO the sums raised within
the district, fla school district neglects
for two years TO provide suitable school
house, or neglects for one year to make
the repairs or do the furnishing recon-
mended by the Supervisor. two voters
may call upon the Selectmen who, with
in six months thereafter, shall construct
the house or make the repairs and as
sess tax upon the district.
The chief provisions of this measure,
therefore, are systematic organization
and direction, general uniformity of
administration, compulsory education,
and the compulsory maintenance of
schools. The advocates of the system
embodied in this bill hope, by means of
its adoption, to greatly stimulate educa-
tional interests and improve educational
methods in the State.