Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-03-23
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF
SCHOOLS, GLOVER.

10 t0o tcSal totcEn VI diotoE, cas-
sembled in the annual town meeting,
Mar. 8, 1903.
In compliance with the require
ments of law, present herewith a
statement OF the condition of the
schools, and suggestions for their i'm
provement.
1t is the evident duty of the State to
furnish all the children within its bor-
ders with an elementary education
that shall fit them for usefulness and
enable them to lead lives that shall
reflect credit upon themselves and
their native state. In the larger
towns and cities the public schools
have already reached high state of
efficiency; but in the rural districts
the problem of beneficial schools is as
yet largely to be worked out. Many
OF our greatest men came from the
rural parts of the state. With proper
training there is no reason why others
shall not be found coming from the
school-houses nesting among our
hills.
AS state, as a town, it is for our
interest to provide good schools for
the rising generation. Victor Hugo
says, "Whoever opens school closes
a jail" President Eliot of Harvard
University, in a speech delivered be-
fore the Connecticut state teachers
association in New Haven last fall
said that the remedy for the evils
which threaten US as a nation is
largely in the common school educa-
ton which our coming rulers receive.
AS the education of so many is limited
to a common school training it is
necessary that this be of the best pos
sible quality. This means care as to
the schoolhouses and grounds; as to
those who teach, that they be the
best that can be had, we'll equipped
for the work intrusted to them; as to
the supply of books and appliances; as
to graduation of pupils, wiser courses
of study, more intelligent instruction
| and humane government and care of
children. President Draper, formerly
state superintendent of public instruc-
ton in New York says, "It is funda-
mental that the state is bound to see
that suitable elementary school is
maintained within reach of every
home; and to have suitable school,
house must be provided which is
sufficient and which is hygienically
above reproach. The state which is
not preparing, regulating and advan-
cling its teaching service; which is not
stimulating and systematizing the
work of it's schools is a
state whose government is in hands
that are nerveless, or whose people
are strangely and basely Indifferent to
the evolution of educational thought,
and to the stern logic of educational
| events"
To the teacher of to-day is given
the task of training the mental and
moral energies of the youth at the
most critical part of the formative
period. The little minds are remark
ably receptive, and the influence of
the instructor has much to do with
shaping the after life of the pupil.
President Garfield said thao log with
Mark Hopkins on one end and him
self on the other was to him the
equal of college course. We have
better appliances than that, but all
teachers are not like Mark Hopkins.
DR.. Arnold of Rugby, the great En-
glish educator, left the imprint of his
wonderful personality upon the lives
of scores of young men, who owe all
they ever became to the unconscious
help gained from association with a
great and good man.
Let us for little look at the work
done in the various schools in town
and see wherein they have been sue
cessful and then perhaps recognize
some ways in which they can be
helped to larger usefulness. In
town during the past year there have
been maintained ten schools taught
by sixteen teachers. One school,
number five, kept the teacher during
the whole year; numbers one, two
three, primary, four, seven and nine
had the same teachers for two terms
Of these sixteen teachers two held
first grade certificates, eight had Sec
ond grade certificates, one continued
and six held third grade certificates
Among these teachers were one col.
lege graduate and seven high school,
graduates. None of the teachers have
attended the normal school. A num-
Der of the teachers attended the
teachers institute held at Barton in