The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-08-31
vERMoNT's ILLITERAcY
Attempt to Show Reasons Why This
State Fell from 4th to 9th Place

State Fell from 4th to 9th Place
The state democratic platform, in
it's concluding plank concerning edu-
cation, makes this statement
Vermont is on the downward
course in education and has fallen in
this respect when compared with her
sister states, during the years of re-
publican rule, from the fourth TO the
9th position. This is deplorable and
humiliating and is due to lack of
attention on the part of the party in
power
This declaration is rather sweeping
in its terms and is one demanding
that somebody sit up and take notice,
says the st Johnsbury Caledonian.
On the face of things, for a state
to fall in its rank Of illiteracy from
fourth to 9th place, is certainly sug-
Igestive, but nobody can pretend that
Vermont in fourth place was giving
any more attention to educational
things than she is in the 9th place.
Indeed, any state situated like Yer
mont, as a constant contributor
through the emigration of her sons
and daughters TO the newer states far
Ither west, is very likely to lose her
rank and not materially retrograde as
regards herself.
II should be remembered that dur
ing the period that Vermont has been
losing ground as regards illiteracy
other states, in which her sons and
daughters have been active factors in
the upbuilding, have moved onward
and upward in the scale, thus lowering
the standing of the older states
| In 1876 horse that could trot
mile in 2.30 on the average county
fair track, was considered fast. Such
a horse would not be fast as com.
pared with the records now being
made at the same county fairs. This
does not mean that the horse In
1876 was not fast horse, nor does
lit mean that such horse would not
be most excellent horse today. It
simply means that through breeding.
improvement in race tracks and the
bike sulky, there have been develop
ed better records than were possible
a generation ago. In other words.
IVermont's rank in illiteracy is more
due to the fact that newer and more
aggressive states have passed by her
than that she has refrigerated.
During the period that the demo
Icratic platform considers, could
democratic control of the state gov
eminent have prevented Vermont be-
ing left behind in the educational race
OF the states? Has the democratic
party, anywhere it has had control of
a state government, shown that Il
could have done any better for the
cause of education
The people of Vermont are not
uniformed regarding the cost in mon
,ey OF good schools and IL is safe TO say
that there Is not a single town In the
tate that In an emergency would not
make its schools the last subject for
retrenchment In expense. True. skill
ed supervision Is matter for which
provision in q general sense, has only
but recently been made. and is yet in
urge extent an experiment. IL is well
started, however, in Vermont and Il is
bound to be. extended. To what ex-
ent time may raise Vermont's rank
In illiteraey is uncertain, and indeed,
OF no particular significance from the
reasons above shown. If the state
appropriates money for school pur.
poses as literally as can be afforded
and directs that such money shall
be expended under approved SUPER
vision, no more can be asked and no
more should be expected. While
this is being done there is no reason
to presume that other states will not
be working on the same unac and
therefore not only Vermont's rank In
illiteracy, but every other states rank
In the same way will be governed by
resources rather than by anything
else
In regard to the present education
al movements in this state, the state
superintendent of education the Hon.
Mason 5. Stone, authorizes the follow
ing statement:
Since my acquaintance with the
public schools of Vermont there never
was a time when the people were more
Interested in educational matters and
more willing to cooperate, when bet
ter work was being done by teachers
and officers, when stronger and more
steady progress was being made along
all lines, when conditions were more
favorable, educationally than today
There has been an increase In the wag
es of teachers, an increase IN the uuan
tity OF schooling, an increase In char
acter of local administration, and an
increase in all that vitality and pro.
fitably affects the school life OF the
child"