The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-02-17
THE RURAL SCHOOLS
Report of Superintendent on Those
Outside the Village

The advantages children in these are
so meager comparison with village hardly
drawn The district school should offer the training posi-
bic pupil district school, by hearing the instruction
given other classes gets constant review The pupils
largely from the farms their trained they can do
things need of manual training for them. No school
equal first class district school, and school poorer than
most rural schools in this state.
greatest uguary has existed both the attendance
of pupils and in the management Of the schools.
real of pupils provided by has sell
dom been taken Teachers this year been fur
nhed with the of pupils who supposed be their
respective schools The school of state has
not enforced Unless pupils regular attendance lit
tie progress be made Until farmers realize that their
rens education valuable than the little help they can
render farm until they learn that the requ
ing regular school attendance from children under fifteen applies
as the residents OF the villages rural
school must in its mission of giving frscass common
school education.
In the management of schools under the old system through
teachers have generally worked without guidance
Indefinite standards often none have been established no de
tailed course study outlined and definite textbooks
adopted by directors There many many
kinds but seldom enough whole kind to supply
class found invoice of books school property
district has spent large supplies permanent
nature maps globes reference books but these have
been uncared for misused and only globe standard or
wooden box an empty map portion dictionary re-
main to show their former purchase.
Children have given the school education
required by they been fitted for high school, and
farmers who have give their children liberal educa
ton have confidence in the district school have paid
tuition three years the graded schools village
During under district supervision the schools
been carefully graded of study outlined and put
into effect limited supply of textbooks allow
1 am examining many books agriculture and hope to
present for adoption the future The
are practical interesting scholarly and furnish better
for reading study than many of the advanced standard
readers When child ready for fifth reader may as we'll
read books actual life Rotation of crops is sub
ect as interesting and far practical than Selections from
Don Ouixote Spraying in Fruit Culture is just as read
able appeals vastly bright boy than Daniel
ster Pride Ancestry The studies required by law
crowd the program by coeatng agriculture with reading
much valuable knowledge can be impaired.
Definite standards have been and Rules and Regula
tons formulated the uniform government of the schools
am pleased with the advance made with the efforts the
ers the interest parents and the support the direc
tors Little more however be done until the voters furnish
the directors money The law requires that textbooks be
furnished allows other supplies be purchased by the d
rectors but il takes money.
This district paid teachers s. week many years
Wages in all departments of labor have advanced in recent
wears even school systems of Produce sells
higher the living
at least thirty per farmers pay twenty forty per cent
more for farm the price charged teachers board has
been advanced from thirty fifty per but Bennington
rural teachers still get s. week Next year may record the
enactment by legislature of minimum salary law
placing minimum salary S. so it calls for money
For several the for school purposes has been as cents
last year directors unable expenses spending
several hundred dollars than their They there
fore asked 40 and instead of advance of
cents the voters down voting only 80 There
fore the directors have this year still debt 1t
impossible to the school 80 tax even without
furnishing supplies Thirty cents tax will pay teachers
wages, fuel, tuition and repairs.
There is why Vermont district schools should not
equal those the middle west why the Bennington
rural schools should become model for the whole state
The grand list in proportion to population and of
schools large being Sr257o, 1890 school, making
possible with the low Of cents provide everything
needed Bennington village list $322S4 for 20 teachers
rooms or S1,153 per school, and tax of 70 cents
There are good schoohouses fair and very