News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-08-21
EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS IN VERMONT.
Need of Better Superxision.
IBy Principal W. A. Beebe of Morrisville

[By Principal W. A. Beebe of Morrisville.l
The belief, that fair share of edu-
cation is necessary for every child of
q free government, was early estab-
lished in colonial thought; to this,
there was added later the idea that
the property of the state should meet
the expense of such training. These
two elements formed the basis of a
free school system, but something
| further was soon deemed necessary.
| The isolated schools, established in
the independent districts into which
the towns had been divided, could
maintain but precarious existence,
rising at times, through the unusual
caTeiulness of some committeeman or
the diligence of some skillful and de-
voted teacher, to marked degree of
success only to fall again, through
period OF neglect, to the common
level. At length, it was seen that
permanent improvement could be
made only, as Guizot has fittingly
said, through theprogress of the in
dividual together with the progress
of the whole organism" and general
supervision was suggested as an addi-
tional element in the full develop
ment of the system. The city OF Buf-
falo gave the suggestion it's first prac-
tical test in this country, when, in
1887, the six districts within the
city limits we're placed under the
management of superintendent.
The experiment was successful and
the advantage of such action recog-
nized by educators in all parts of the
country. In 1854, the legislature of
Massachusetts legalized the appoint
ment of superintendent In wealthy
communities, and in 1885, the New
England Journal of Education de-
clared that "The most important
question of the hour in matters of
education is that OF supervision"
Since that time the subject has claim
ed the attention of nearly all states,
being successfully worked out in some,
while in others, including our own, 1t
Is, as stated in the initial number of
the Educational Series of The YER
monter, the great need of the state
system. The effort made by our
state to meet this need, through the
action of town superintendent and
county examiners, has generally
proved unsatisfactory, not always
through lack of ability or devotion
on the part of those filing the posi-
tions but from the nature of the case.
Sufficient authority is not given and,
as was said by Edmund Burke in the
House of Parliament more than
century ago, cit generally argues
some want of knowledge of the world,
to hazard plans of government, ex.
cept from a seat of authority" If
the expense, now incurred in the
maintenance of town superintend-
ents and county examiners, could be
turned to the support of we'll quail
fed superintendent who should give
all their time to the direction of
certain number of schools, not so
large but that they could become
potent factors in the administration
of each, we believe that marked i'm
provement would be made in the
condition of the rural schools and
that, with the saving which would
come from more judicious manage
ment, small Acknowledgements would
be necessary.
Let men of quick intelligence, good
scholarship, judicial fairness, and un-
hesitatiDg courage, selected without
political preference or territorial re-
striction, be placed, as assistants OF
the State Superintendent, at the
head of the town schools, and the
great need of the school system of
Vermont would, we think, be met.