News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1911-08-30
TAXATION AND THE SCHOOLS
BY SUPT. w. C. McGINNIS

| schools ought to be increased for the fol
lowing reasons:
!. Education is a State function.
2. The present system of taxation fol
school purposes is unjust to the tax
payers in towns of small grand lists ant
scattered population.
3. 1t is unjust to the children of thu
sparsely settled districts in that it pro
vides schools of poor quality.
A. The present system puts apremiun
on small weak schools.
8. An increase state tax would be the
means of lettering the above mentioned
conditions, and of improving the whole
system of public schools in Vermont.
g. Better rural schools would tend to
check immigration.
The State compels parents to send
their children to schools, and Furnishes
the pupil for non-attendance. 1t is the
duty of the State, to equalize the
burden of taxation for their support.
In 1888 there were At high schools and
81 academies in Vermont with total en-
rollment of about 1000. Today there
are II high schools and IS academies
with 1926 students. Secondary and higher
education have attained such degree of
excellence that they are sometimes
spoken of as the "pride of the Green
Mountains" The report of the State
superintendent of Education says that
in the past twenty years the high schools
have gained so per cent in number and
81 per cent in attendance. The high
school takes an important part in public
education. The graded schools of our
cities and large villages have been i'm
proved and developed until they are on
a good basis. Many things have been
done to improve the rural schools:
change from the district to the town sys-
tenn, town ownership of books. sum-
mer schools for teachers, state aid for
transportation, and professional SUI wis,
ion.
While secondary and higher education
have been well looked after. and the
schools of the larger centers also, the
most important part of the public well
fare, from an educational point of view,
has not received merited attention. Half
OF the entire school population of the
United States attend the rural schools.
In Vermont in 1910 there were 1925
pupils in high schools and academies,
66,615 in elementary schools. These
figures show that less than per cent of
the school children of Vermont go to
high schools and academies. These are
An important part of our population, but
the " who do not go are vastly more SO.
Census figures and returns show that
the rural communities of the United
States are decreasing In population and
that VI ban population is Increasing. In
1900 the I'll ban population was about 4
per cent. Today it is 40 per cent. This
is not, as is sometimes said due to the
rapid growth of our cities Independent OF
their gains fIom rural population. A
study of the world situation shows that
the country is always contributing its
young men and women toward the up.
building of the cities. Vermont is suf.
fering IRON this tendency. She las no
large cities 10 attack her youth, hence
they go forth Into the cities OF other
states. A study of the history of BUSH
ness, political, professional. and social of
other states shows that Vermont has
given and is still giving large proportion
of her sons and daughters to the main
tenance and progress of the test of the
country. But that is not the worst part
of our loss. Many young people discon-
tented with the life and opportunities of
country are being drawn to the cities by
the glamour of city life and the expec-
taiiou of a better chance for advance.
mtnt. We hear and we read about the
dolugs OF these, but of the larger number
whofall the general public knows moth
ing.
Census figures show a decrease in the
population of many rural towns since
the size of farms increases. We do not
need larger farms but more and better
cultivated ones. The only way this can
be brought about is by keeping more
Vermont boys and girls at home. "Back
to the farm" is a Cry that arouSes enthu-
siasm at any public gathering when used
by al eloquent speaker, who has no in
tention of going back to the farm him
self. 1t is beautiful theory and one
that summer vacationists never tire of.
The fact remains that the people in the
city will stay there, also that many
country people will continue the city
ward movement. The important thing
is to keep as many of them on the farms
as possible. The greatest and most just
critism of the schools of Vermont is that
Jney teDu 10 Train tue yOuIu away from
the country rather than train them for
life on the farm. Francis w. Parker
SAYS: "The tremendous advantage of
rational course of work in the country
schools is that it would make strong
binding union of the home and the school
and project the school into the farm.
1t would give parent and teacher one
motive in the carrying out of which both
con III heartily iOin ~
Much of the suject matter taught in
our rural schools is borrowed from the
city curriculum. Nature study, elemen-
tary facts and reasons of agriculture,
aud instruction in the various crafts
which shall make the farm child content
with his lot in life and able to receive
the advantages of such life should
form part of rural school work. When
the child can be taught that the old
farm home is the most precious heritage
that can come into his possession, and
the farm offers him an opportunity for
achievement equal or superior to oppor.
tunities in the city. then and not till then
will the welfare of Vermont be secure
This can not be done under the present
system of financial support of rural
schools. 10 fact it would take years to