The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-03-18

The usual number of schools of the
usual length have been maintained.
Committees have apparently done their
best to get good teachers and the schools
have, as a whole, it is believed, satisfied
reasonable expectations. The school
houses may now be called good Those
in districts Nos. /, 2, 4, 6, Z and s
have been built within few years.
That in district No. 2 was the last
built and is credit to the district.
Those in districts Nos. 3 and IA have
been thoroughly repaired of late and
the other three more or less. Twenty
different teachers, one male and nine
teen females have been employed in the
13 school, districts Nos. 6 and 7 each
having two schools Three of those,
two of whom had been granted county
certificates and the other formerly q
well qualified and successful teacher
were given permits. Six at least We're
normal school graduates and had state
certificates and the others, it is under
stood, held county certificates. Of these
teachers Misses Alta Walker, Mary
E. Tully, Maggie McNaboe, Emily
A. Roberts and Mabel Torrey held
their places during the year and had
taught more or less in the same schools
before. We have over 500 children
of school age and over 400 scholars.
No other town in the county except
Bennington has so many. Our entire
income for school purposes is about
$4, 1896 annually and the amount raised
by district taxes for school purposes
So, 3,279. Here too we rank next to
Bennington. Four at least of our
schools are still in session and the
school registers are not now returnable
to the superintendent. The facts they
contain are not therefore at hand and
cannot be embodied herein.
Some reference to the new school
laws may be expected Much Of the
law of 1888 was repealed as soon as it
could be without an extra session of
the legislature. The $1,000 supervi-
sors elected for two years died at the
mature age Of one year and six months,
but had the sessions been animal instead
of biennial they would never perhaps
have attained that green old age. We
had an experiment of county examiners
and of county superintendent once be-
fore-it was high up in the forties and
as remembered they both died year
lings, the sessions of the legislature
then being annual. Then as now, the
number of those who contracted curva-
ture of the spine bending over their
graves to weep was small. Vermont
ers seem to think that one man spread
over whole county is too thin. But
the way the law Of 1888 was carried
into effect was more Objectionable in
some respects than the law itself From
all over our county teachers were COM
PEELED to 90 to Manchester Centre or
North Bennington for two days ex-
animation. A bright bevy of young
ladies early one cold frosty morning
were seen lowering and shivering
around the stove in our depot They
had hoped out OF bed at 3 or 4 o'clock
in their homes in Landgrove and Peru
and ridden over the mountain mostly
in the dark to take our south bound Z
o'clock train for two days examina-
ton. The expense and difficulty Of
obtaining certificates were so great in
our county and elsewhere that teachers
became scarce and many schools for
time had no teachers. Against this
state of things there was vigorous kick
ing and to remedy the evil our legisla-
ture at their last regular session enact
ed as follows:
1.-The county examiner after consulta
tion with the town superintendents of the
county, shall in the spring and autumn of
each year, make arrangements for a pub
lie examination of applicants for teachers S
certificates at such places and times as
shall best accommodate the teachers of
the county at as many places as may be
agreed upon by the examiner and super
intendentS."
This says shall not way-it is man.
datory not permissive. Yet the autumn
examination required failed TO material
ize at least in our end of the county
and teachers had to go to Bennington
"some Saturday" for private examina-
tions. The reason, if any there be, for
noncompliance with the law is not
known and whether our teachers will
have to 90 down to York state some
Saturday next spring for private exam
inatioa is also not known. Such are
some of the luscious sample first fruits
of our experience under educational re-
form. | unwiIlingly omit further par
ticulars. Nobody likes the new school
laws except those who get ducats under