The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-12-27
The School PrOblem.--NO 1.

1t is one of the most difficult and i'm.
portant of the problems which confront
the farmer. Upon its right or wrong
solution depends in great measure the
earthly success or failure of the COM
ing generation of farmers. One thing
is certain, it will not be solved by our
sitting down and folding our hands.
1t needs discussion by the papers and
by the people, and especially by those
who are qualified to discuss it. Super
take the country school problem up
and give the people the results of their
thought and experience. The commu-
nication in late number of this paper
from superintendent was an excellent
contribution to the discussion of this
subject. In studying the matter, it has
seemed to me that there are two things
which would help greatly in solving the
country school problem. One of these
is measure which would be of great
value to the pupils and would also help
the teachers, and increase the interest
of the parents in the schools. 1t would
cost almost nothing per school, and
would do away with some of the gravest
abuses of our common-school system.
Best of all, there can be little, if any,
objection made by chronic directors
and fault-fnders. What would pro-
pose is this: That competent persons
prepare course of study for the pupils
of the schools, that the scholars be
classified and promoted yearly accord
ing to their scholarship as determined
by their standing in their classes, the
standing to be recorded at stated times,
monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly by
the teacher. To carry out this plan
would involve no startling innovation,
would be applicable to all schools alike,
and would bring order out of the chaos
which reigns in so much of our educa-
cational work. For as things now are,
children study, not what has been de-
termined as best for them by those who
know their needs, but too often their
studies are selected in hap-hazard
manner. A pupil goes certain dis
lance in his studies during term of
school. The next term new teacher
comes who knows nothing of the child's
capacities, the pupil begins the book
and goes over the same ground again.
The law prescribes certain studies, but
there is nothing to guide teachers or
parents or pupils concerning the order
in which these studies shall be taken
up, or the length of time which they
shall be followed And yet the proper
relation of studies to each other and to
the child's capacity is one of the most
important parts of the new education.
An instance of one of the evils which
definite course of study would remedy
is the way language-study is treated in
one of the counties in Vermont. Lam
guage-study in school is of the very
first importance. 1t needs to be COM
menced by the child as soon as he can
read well, or even sooner, and daily
practice should be given in language
work. This find is the method pre-
scented in the best works on this sub
ject-such as Superintendent Tarbel's
" Language Lessons" which stands at
the very head of its class, and which
lays special claim to excellence on the
ground that it furnishes material for
daily exercise from the time when a
pupil can read easily in third reader
until he is ready for the high school.
But in this county, no textbook in Ian
guage for younger pupils was selected
by those who selected the school books,
so that, unless the teacher is able to
take up the sluuy WIN lne younger pu-
pills without textbook, they must go
without instruction or practice in this
most necessary branch. II we had
prescribed course of study with Ian
guage-work put in its proper place,
such thing would not take place. But
/ must defer the consideration of this to
another article. j. w. NEWTON.