The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-06-05

wisdom Of the law become apparant to all.
The law reads as follows: mo child un-
der five years OF age shall be reCsived as q
pupil into any OF the public schools OF the
State and children attaining the age Of five
years after the beginning OF the fall term OF
the school year shall not he received into
public schools until he beginning Of the
fall term OF the following year, unless said
children have the written permission OF the
superintendent OF schools"
This law formerly applied only to graded
schools, but was recently changed to in
clude the town schools NJ well. It's pur-
pose was TO prevent the forming OF begin
ner's class oftener than once n year, 81 In
the usual system OF classification the classes
are one year apart; that Is, the graduation Is
so made as 20 render REIMBURSEMENT or
promotion" necessary but once year
II our school year were longer than twenty
eight or thirty weeks, with shorter vaca-
tions, it might doubtless be better to have
promotions take place at lesser intervals.
An explanation of this here would necessi-
tate discussion OF the purpose and plan OF
grading schools, about which L hope to
write more fully at another time. / simply
wish to show here the confusion that arises
from admitting pupils during any term, or
at any time during term, OF the school
year.
In small schools this is OF far less impor-
tance but take the school of sixty pupils,
even where the teac Aer IL expected to carry
them through only three years work
A beginners class is formed in the fell
tern; another ha done a year s work and
third is ready to enter upon the work OF a
tn rd year. Al the end Of the term the be-
ginners have learned number OF word,
will be able 10 write little, to do simple
number work and in these days children Of
this grade must be given much oral insIruc-
ton. AT the beginning Of the winter term
more children enter who have never been
70. H. II will
remain y terms length behind the others,
until the teacher, Ia despair ~ having 80
many reCttatiOns, will Combine two classes.
The Injustice o. this will be readily seen.
All will have missed some OF the regular
work, some will do the class work after a
and, losing interest will probably be pro-
nOuuced dull. Fortunate indeed are they
II interest be reawakened before they leave
school,
Again it is OF no infrequent occurrence
for children 10 enter school at any time
during the term after work is fairly begun.
They can recite with none Of the classes
and must be given individual attention or
be neglected Furthermore, we know that
the formation Of correct habits in the be-
ginning IL no sligh6 factor ia school life
and this makes IL necessary that the little
ones should have constant and careful
| oversight till they have learned to adapt
| themselves to the routine OF school life,
| Now, imagine the teacher OF sixty, or even
| forty, pupils giving the time of an entire
! class TO each little one who enters at any
! time, and you will have some understand
| ing of the reason why this law was made.
| An incident or two under my observation
| will serve to show how 1t has been misun
derstood, and possibly how it might yet be
changed, to the advantage OF the town
| schools.
One teacher found seven beginners on the
| first day of the spring term. Knowing
| there would be others for the next term she
| took advantage of her Interpretation OF the
| law and sent them home only to have then
promptly returned By the irate parents with
| the Information that "they were Of schoo
| age and they could go to school," Another
found in a class Of ten four who we're sil
| years OF age but who had never attended
school, and Is the law specifies the age o
five years she found herself Obliged to &C
cept them; whereupon sh- remarked, tina
since she must have beginners class She
might es we'll take them all, A thicd teach
er took them In without question, as here
tofore, meaning TO do her best for them
though she acknowledged her inability tC
do them justice. No applications for writ
ten permission being received by the super
| intendent In some instances, the term wal
fairly begun before the matter could b.
reached. Under these circu instances Their
seemed little to be done but grant who'll
sale permission and thus render the law
practically dead letter.
The giving OF written permission by tn,
superintendent enables that official to al
NIT such az being partially prepared al
home are ready to enter q class withou
special instruction, e1d in small school
where most teachers are glad to have thu
extra work There can be no injustice il
the latter case. for here the pupils can b.
provided for without neglect OF the others
which would be impossible in large schools
The school is established for the children
and, to quote from noted educator, 18th
end to be reached is not to cultivate the in
tellect OF the pupils alone, nor to help then
to gather facts together merely for the SAX
of possession; but it is to prepare them TO
the duties of lite-to ennoble and make NOR
effective the employments upon which the.
are to enter" Therefore, the habit @
thought and action should be careful
guarded aud the teacher who has an oppor
tunity TO acquaint herself with the individ
ual needs and characteristics of the childre
under her care can guide them far NOR
wisely than she who is forced by Numbers
and lack OF time, TO reduce her work to
mere piece of mechanism.
Town SUPERINTENDENT