The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-11-21
Better Schools for Vermont.

! OCht w Jul oCuOOl pOpuldtlOu nSNtT
reaches. 1t was not drawn to especially
aid the graded schools of well-organized
districts, which, for years have been
improving at the expense of county
schools. The bill involves the ques-
ton of better strict schools, par
ticularly in those places where such
schools do not now exist. In favor of
the old system has the committee re-
ported, not because it believes that sys-
tenn to be better than the town system,
but because it thought that any meas
ure advocated ard even passed, that
was contrary to the wishes of the peo-
pie, would not effect reform. The
members of the committee and the
gentlemen who compose both branches
of the state legislature might with pro-
priety consider at this time the wisdom
of legislating contrary to the views of
their constituency If, in their judgment,
such a system generally applied with
reasonable chances to establish itself
within reasonable time, is the thing
to be devoutly wished. 1t is, however,
in the settled, determined, illogical
position of the people on this very
question of the town system that one
may find reason for the present con-
dition of our schools. The fault lies
not in legislation but in public opinion.
The people make their schools, and
their schools bespeak the general Gull
ture of the people. The state constitu-
ton, established in 1913, made pro-
vision for the maintenance of common
schools, and in 1927 an act to provide
more efficiently for the same was pre-
sented and passed. In the year fol-
lowing commission, headed by Will
lam Hall, made its report, and from
that time to this men have never been
wanting to carp at and criticise our I'M
fortunate system. Horace Eaton, in
1S4S, made the first animal report.
There was then in the state an esti-
mated school population of nearly 100,-
900. This may be taken as an average
of our school population for the last
forty years. The average enrolment
has been estimated as being about
seventy per cent, and of this number,
taking Superintendent DARTS figures
for 1869 as standard, not more
than siXty-seven per cent or about
forty-siX per cent of the total school
population has attended school with
any degree of regularity. If we call
the regular daily attendance fifty per
cent of the enrolment, if we reduce
the total school expenditure of 1888 by
$25S, 900, and consider 100000 as fair
average annual expenditure, we are
confronted by the astounding conclusion
that for the past forty years Vermont
has been yearly expanding 5000 900,
or total sum of $1,000, 900, from which
benefit might have been, but was not,
received by the children of the state.
Any large town, managing its school
affairs through a general committee,
would never suffer two years to go by,
if, during the first, only half of the
children in that town had been edu-
Gated when, with no added cost, all
might have received the benefits of the
outlay. And yet, through the per-
sonal humors of local committees, by
reason of an incorrect and irrational
public view of school questions, through
neglect and disinterest, the state has
permitted its citizens to persevere in
their most unbusiness-like and eXtrava-
giant methods. To correct this evil by
an improved attendance upon the
schools would unquestionably be the
tendency of the bills provisions. do
not know of year within sixty
when the highest school officer in the
state, if he issued report, did not fill
it with advices and complaints. There
was, it is, true, under Secretary Adams
and the " Board of Education" after
1857, a time when school officers seemed
to thrive and advance. But even he,
who earnestly served the state for
eleven years and then, through some
misunderstanding with his "School
Board" resigned, even Secretary Adams
revived the dirge which Superintend-
ents Eaton and Burnham had sung be-
fore him, and he wrote in his reports:
elf, then, there does exist in the
minds of the people of the state such a
lack of faith in the power of our school
system as has been stated, its effect to
cripple that system and deprive it of all
opportunity of full and fair develop
ment is manifest, and manifest for six
reasons, which / shall abridge-the ma
ture of legislative debates, the discus
sions and resolutions of educational
conventions, public memorials, state
school records, newspaper editorials,
public addresses and the opinions of
county superintendent. Mr.. Adams
was succeeded by Secretary A. f.
Rankin. This, l understand, was in
the days of which many now speak as
:" the days of the district school," But
Mr. Rankin's schoolreports also supply
lugubrious reading matter; for he, in
his report of 1859, page 50, enumerated
fifteen prominent obstacles which then
stood in the way of greater efficiency
What were these obstacles? Here they
are, and you will note that the present
measures, the especial order for next
Tuesday forenoon, has for its direct OBJ
jectives these very obstacles. O
total lack or insufficient supervi-
sion; (2) constant change in super
visors; (3) poorly qualified teachers; (4)
constant change of teachers; (5) lack
of interest on the part of patrons; Co
employment of relatives and favorites
without regard to qualifications; CD
too small schools in many districts; (S)
too short schools in the same; Coz EN-
ployment of immature teachers in the
same; QO poor school-houses; QD
general lack of apparatus: 02) irregu-