The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-07-29
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

One of the topics Of vital i'm
portance to the people of the
state is the Public Schools, and the
facts set forth in the annual re-
port of State Superintendent of
Education Mason S. Stone for the
year ending March 81, 1909, should
be given careful consideration by
every person interested in the
welfare of Vermont.
On the face of the returns the re-
port showing the number of boys
between the ages of 5 and in the
public schools to be $3.50, and the
number of girls between the same
ages to be 34,426, a total of 1926,
compared with 39,301 boys and 81
$50 girls, total of 1881 the pre-
vious year, indicate a startling de-
crease not pleasant to contemplate
with a census enumeration COM
ing next year. The explanation, how
ever, is that the falling off is ap-
parent rather than real, owing to
the failure of clerks Of school
boards to make proper returns. The
Public Statutes of Vermont pro-
vide that the clerks of the boards
of school directors shall take
census of children of school age at
a specified time. No. 100 of the Acts
of 1906 provides that "a state, coun-
ty, town, village, fire district or
school district officer, who will
fully neglects to perform the du-
ties imposed upon him by law,
either express or implied, shall be
imprisoned not more than one
year, or fined not more than $1,000,
or both" Here would seem to be a
good opportunity for enforcing this
law if it is not to become dead
letter. There is so much delinquent
cy on the part of some town officials
in the performance of various du-
ties that the imposition of a few
penalties for neglect would have a
wholesome effect.
The number of teachers returned
for 1909 are: Men, 3S1; women, g.
500. In 1908 there were 354 men
and $500 women registered as pub
lie school teachers. The schools
cost about $4,000 more than last
year, the cost per week increasing
from SIS to $40, and the cost per
pupil advancing from 500 to $22.
There is small average increase
in wages paid teachers, the average
for men being $34,53 per month and
that for women, $32S7. The in
creased cost of transportation is
about $4,000.
With the limited resources of the
people in the small districts it is
impossible to pay for the quality OF
teachers that should be provided,
and any criticism of small salaries
that fails to take into account the
poverty of many of the small dis
tricts is distinctly unfair. 1t is
here that the centralized school, the
transportation of pupils, and the
union of towns in the employment
OF trained superintendent, comes
to the relief of situation otherwise
deplorable
Washington county makes good
showing, ranking first in number
of visits made by superintendent,
second in number of pupils, second
in amount expended for teachers,
second in amount of permanent
school money, and third in high
schools.
1t must be the ambition of Ver-
mont continually to raise the stand
ard OF her schools. Lack Of funds
may prevent carrying into effed
all that is to be desired but let us
be sure that we get 100 cents in val
ne for every dollar we spend. The
legislature OF 1908 made start to-
ward manual training in the schools,
providing an appropriation of $3.50