The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1890-10-09

fssf fsnf. AMI seFrfA VIII" ~ "afff"s 49,
..f ..4t Thaka fgnrrs fi-rio-~ ~t"os
dan. ~ ihs snAil districts. when viewed ~
the light ~ eur theories A. 70 tsnsfion and
Oh. object ~ the public scbool-a wrong thai
cruelty discriminztes, sending twOihifds "
the children 20 schools al ~ and ~ weeks
and the other third IA shorter and poorer
schao-, compelling one man to nay one rate
II taass and Hnssher man smother rate "
support the sap" system, sysitm thsi
prevrnis efiane promotes indnsiry, and
powerful sgsnsysn prvf@cllpg ibc state
say these fgurss disclose great wrong
rcaciing into sesfly every town 10 ne
staie--lhas ought not 90 he toieraied another
day" Hon. J. W. Patterson, snpsnnisha'
emf az public instruction IN New Hampshire,
IL quoted a. commenting The working q
the town system Ia that state.
The third general subject, combination
Of smsll schools, is discussed A. follows:
"It il plain 10 most r@cplr that good
school Is an mmpo-sibliliy without goo.i
teacher, aud that good teacher commands
good pay for his services II II also s"t'led
that a. a rule. scholars learn more IN
school al fair size than Ia n small one.
There are isi schools Ia the state Of not
more than scholars, and 81 OF not more
than ~ scholars. II Is evident that there y
A large number ~ these districts that ought
10 be united With other districts. super
visor Goodhne reports that there are ~ such
IA Orange county. II these had been united
with other districts. IL would have saved
that county at least 5000. In New bainf-
shire, where the condition IN similar 10 that
In Vermont, i94 schools were discontinued
IN lss,s7. by uniting with other schools,
The schools In the town OF MiddletoWh
Springs, VT, have all been united In two
districts Several districts were annexed
20 the village district. The superintendent
visited this school In the winter vi 1850, and
found II In a prosperous condition" In
New Hampshire compensation Is allowed
for Transporting pupils where the distance
Ia great. " The superintendent has personal
knowledge OF several cases where good
graded schools might be established from
small districts In this state; where, in years
past, the school money, To say the least,
has not given good results. ~ N
therefore recommended that section ~ IN
amended. so that all alterations OF school
districts shall b. made by the seiecfmen,
and that the selecimen shall alter them on
the recommendations Of the supervisors.
The supervisors will act In this respect
firmly aud discreetly.'
The superintendent next comes 10 the sub
ieet Of free textbooks He says. There
has been considerable discussion and Ills.
agreement az 20 whether towns aud school
districts under section 2S6, and the last
sentence Of section l12. which reads
But this shall not be held to prevent the
use Of such books rs may be supplied with
out expense 20 the pupils. could furnish the
pupils with free text books. The law Is not
~ plain as II ought 10 be In this respect, and
therefore should be amendedi or rather,
the superintendent Is Of opinion that NE
law relating 10 free textbooks should I've
repealed aud The state should assume the
entire expense Of such books. Equal taxa
fion, economy, the highest success OF the
schools, aud experience OF other commu-
mites, all concur ia demanding not only
free srhool-bouses hat free textbooks Tor
the children of the stale, Hon. John w
9 Dr8inson secretary Of the Massachusetts,
board Of education, gives four advantages
OF the free textbook system, which are
quoted by the superintendent, who adds:
q The reasun for insisting that the state,
instead ~ the towns or school districts,
should furnish the teXt-bo ks, ~, that
IL would tend 10 more perfect equalization
Of taxes. II wanld be made convenient for
the towns TO furnish the textbooks. and
would be- preferable, II a state school tax is
imposed by the legislature, AS RECON-
mended iu another part OF this report.
Regarding the thirteen teachers insti-
tntes which were held dnring the last
school year the superintendent says The
institutes, IL was claimed, were the largest
ever held In the state. The number OF
teachers attending was nearly double that
OF those reported in 1883. The papers and
discussions were of high order. Methods
OF teaching. principles OF education, school
discipline and class work were made prolni-
neni. Teachers must have obtained
broader and more accurate knowledge Of
he real object Of the public school, and OF
right methods 10 make IL most successful. !"
Speaking Of the new school law, the SUI
perinfrndent says, in the first place, that
one wear is too short time in which 20 OBJ
serve lis effects. The difference in schools
ordinar lily is the difference III teachers, and
H. L. ado he
teachers advance. The test is " are the
teachers improving9' In answer 10 this
question the superintendent quotes the
county supervisors, whose reports are given
slsew here. Taking into account the pros
porous condition Of the normal schools,
The unusually large number OF teachers at
tending the Institutes and summer schools,
and who are reading educational journals,
the thorough examination Of applicants for
admission into the teachers profession
together with the fact that more than fifty
teachers associations have been formed
during the year In the several towns. with
small libraries composed Of books on the
art and science Of teaching, that many edu-
cational meetings have been held by the SUI
pervisors, that nearly every teacher In the
state Is friend Of the new law, taking these
facts into account, the superintendent. after
having visited nearly every section OF the
state, and addressed the people in public
meetings III more tHdu ioftf ulHcrtut toWus,
IL f,arxuaded thai substantial progress has
bssu made In the schools, and that the new
Law IL we'll adapted 10 increase their eff
eiency.p Superintendent Patterson aud
Commissioner Harris are quoted as emphat-
icaily In favor Of county supervision. Some
complaint regarding the increase In wages
n reported, In 1889 the average wages Of
male teachers per week were Sa.2l. Of te-
NAL. teachers, s5.13 In 1880, male teach.
ers received ss.6O. and female teachers
500 In New Hampshire the wages OF
mate teachers in 1889 were sl0.s Of female
y. sssarbets. S8-xt The superintendent has not
aSAnained The records 70 learn whether the
Increase has been relatively greater 10 the
poor districts than IN the rich, but has been
Informed that II has been. and therefore
sdxises state tax 10 assist them.
The following recommendations regard
sng the work Of the supervisors are made
That the supervisor may. In his discretion,
indofse q sesvud grade ceriihcstei that the
selrctsnsn shall sitter the boundaries Of
school districts on the written recommends
tiou ~ ID. supervisor; thai supervisor Dc
authorized 80 furnish maps, charts. globes.
referenc. books, etc, Tor a district, AT The
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