Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-05-04
pRArTLEBoRo, FRIDAY, MAY 4. 1909
The Truth Of It.


TO the state but in practical advantage
10 the individual pupil. He will have the
opportunity of receiving not only hlgher
Grade. but more thorough instruction,
as well as the privilege of minghne
with other children; and, where the dis,
lance is not too great, the expense OF
TRANSFORMATION will be but small part
of that required for the maintenance OF
n separate school. The closure OF small
country schools is good move.-Wli'
mington Times.
This is general opinion, concisely
expressed. The theory of the consoil'
dation of rural schools is apparently
Aawless and is so considered and ac.
cepted by most jewellers in villages and
cities. 1t is only the citizens of the
country districts who have young emil
dren and who have lost their district
schools, that know the truth OF the
matter. They can point out the defects
of the theory as applied.
The people of Vermont would better
not take too much for granted in deed
inc upon the further consolidation of
rural schools. Let them look into con
ditions in isolated country regions any
where in New England where this cen
tralization theory has been applied.
Results found will be surprising, and
not generally satisfactory to those
having children.
The truth is that while the theory is
an excellent one as applied to ad-
vanced pupils, it works positive hard
ship. both physical and mental, to the
'slittle ones.' 1t is not right that
children of six years should be Obliged
TO 90 several miles away from home to
school each day, Drawing all kinds OF
weather. separated from their mothers
care and influence through so long
period fraught with possible childish
ills and trials. No child of tender
wears should be- obliged to 60 so far
70 school that he can not get home, II
indisposed or injured. 1t is not NOR
allv heathful for him, either, to spend
the whole day, including the hour Tor
luncheon. with doubtful school asso-
ciates. left during the latter space OF
1ime without even the restraint of the
teacher S presence.
Neither is there any educational gam
to the primary pupil from the high
er graden instruction quoted. The be-
pinner at school wants individual
teaching. of the simplest kind, such as
he would get at a district school OF
ten pupils, if the teacher were faith
ful. He needs only to be taught how
to read and spell, to write, to add, sub
tract and repeat the multiplication
table-iust the bare rudiments Oh
learning He needs to be taught these
with as little "theory" as possible,
inst as some of our great men nave
been taught them by their mothers IN
spare moments at home, to form a hrm
foundation for the improvement of later
opportunities. A district school teach
er need not be high-priced or 'hgh
grade, as educational standards 60
She may be young and inexperienced,
if only she be kind and sensible Ii
she have no "higher education = at all
but merely common English range
Of knowledge, all the better, for what
she does not know she will not be con-
stantly trying to instill prematurely
l, &c how Dh
In our opinion, it is too much "high-
grade' teaching of the babies that IS
causing the chief failure of our public
schools today-the failure in rudimen-
tary knowledge. The increase In popu-
lation centers, the resulting increase In
graded schools, the application OF the
Capitalization theory in rural sections
and the decrease of individual instruc-
ton make this failure more and more
glaringly apparent.
We recommend the preservation OF
district schools of ten pupils with IN
struction by cheap teacher, II neces-
sary; and of all others where financial
conditions will permit. Let there be, as
there generally is, one advanced school
available for pupils old enough to leave
home, and the best possible provision
for the practical education our children
need will have then been made.
The st. Johnsbury Republican, in
commenting upon the recent consollda-
ton recommendation of the state
Superintendent of education, says:
"Can it be that the days of the little
red school house on the hill are num-
bered?n We have no strong sentiment
tai warnings for the primitive, but we
hope not; for we are unable to DIS
cover, in any of the modern methods,
anything which can take the place OF
the district school in the rudimentary
training of country children. 1t is, as
the primary school should be, a part
of the pupil IS home life and influence.
And it is when and because it attempts
SO little that it accomplishes so much
in the first few years of child s
school life. That it is now generally
considered Ineffective and is some
times made so is probably because 1t
is now the fashion to try to teach
young children more than they can