The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-12-12
Report of Superintendent of
Education.

1t is somewhat late to review q report
made to the General Assembly. But
the document seems TO have been
stale in Albany, New York Shortly
before adjournment an installment for
the members was got through by ex-
press, too late to be of any service in
egislation, but none were handed
round to the worlds people. Some
time last week the main body of the
volumes arrived at the State House and
the general public, including the news
papers, began to get sight at them.
Superintendent Stone has made an
exceedingly able and valuable report.
1t is a distinct loss to the State-or
would be to any State except Yer
mont-that it was not printed and dis
tributed in ample season for the oppor-
tunity at least of influencing legislation
on school affairs. AS things went at
the late session, however, there is
hardly a question that Mr.. Stones
tienchant statement of the facts of the
situation in the rural schools, his argu-
ments and appeals for the adoption of
the specific measures of reform he
recommends, would have gone the way
of every other good and progressive
thing that was addressed to the consid-
Grafton of the aggregation of alleged
wisdom and virtue recently assembled
onsCapitol Hill. The report might as
well have remained in Albany, or
never have been formulated and
printed.
Superintendent Stone addressed HIM
self chiefly to the subject of better
supervision of the schools. The OBJ
ject of public instruction, the "change
in its scope and purpose, in order that
it may meet new conditions end obli-
gations," are strongly and lucidly set
forth. "Steam and electricity have
not only revolutionized the CONNER
cial and industrial world, but have
greatly modified social and individual
conditions" The requirements of
public education have correspondingly
expanded. Mr.. Stone, discusses these
matters, and the changed conditions
wrought in fifty years, with vigor and
intelligence, and the change is all to
the disadvantage of the rural schools
and the gain of the village or city
schools. "The difference in conditions
today,'he says, sis well illustrated by the
difference in work in two schools, only a
few miles apart but in different towns.
In one of Vermont's model villages is
a trained, experienced, capable teacher
who receives 1926 annually for teach
ing primary grade of less than forty
pupils thirty-six weeks. Over her is
an expert superintendent who gives his
entire time to the work of supervision
and who receives higher salary than
that paid seventy-ive per cent of the
principals of the high schools of the
State. In the other school, twenty
eight weeks in the year, is an uncouth,
unframed, inexperienced girl, presiding
over twenty or more pupils, and paid
for her services $3.50 week. What is
represented by this unframed and i'm
mature girl is existent in majority Of
the towns of the State. The large
amount of awkward, aimless, amateur
work, under the guise of teaching, is
but little apprehended." People, Mr.
Stone adds, who depend upon hearsay,
who are placed as are the inhabitants
of many Of these rural communities,
lido not appreciate, nor can they un-
derstand the barrenness or ill-fruitage