St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-10-25
New Educational Purposes.


The annual convention of the Yer
mont Teachers Association at Mont
pelier last week made prominent the
new purpose that is before the edu-
cational workers of the state. Some
excerpts from the address of the
president of the association, Super
intendent E. M. Roscoe of Spring
field, follow. Speaking of the irR
auguration of Pres. Benton of the
University of Vermont he said:-
1t was agreed that while the class
les, the higher mathematics and
other of the long cherished subjects
required of the secondary schools for
admission to college should still be
required for those who pursue a
strictly classical course, it was furth-
er agreed that other courses should
be offered by the secondary schools
and accepted by the colleges which
would better meet the needs of the
great majority of those who attend
our high schools and who, at pres
ent, do not go to college.
Here are other expressions:-
We are beginning to educate the
masses for usefulness. Opportunity
is given boys and girls to devote the
years of their high school course to
those subjects that will best prepare
them for life.
Our unfortunate tendency is the
growth of cities at the expense of
better school facilities offered in
On1Iy ic cnnCnli-
dated schools. Some of the objec-
tions are based upon the kind of
transportation furnished If safe,
comfortable transportation cannot be
guaranteed, no attempt at consolida-
ton should be made. Too often the
thought has been how cheaply in
stead of how we'll can pupils be
transported. Consolidation is not a
matter of economy. 1t is question
of better opportunities for boys and
girls, arguments which measure
the present by standards of the past
are fatal to educational advance
ment. To stay the depopulation OF
country towns we must offer them
some of the advantages of the viii
lage. To keep boys on the farm
we must make farm life pleasant.
Much has been said about elemen-
tary agriculture in rural and vii
lage schools. I believe the agricul-
tural interests of our state require
instruction in this subject in public
schools. We need a body of teachers
trained for this kind of work and it
is unwise to attempt much along
this line until we have such teach
ers. If agriculture is to be taught
it should be vital. 1t cannot be en-
trusted inexperienced teachers. We
should train them for it as fast as
possible and introduce the work as
fast as we have teachers for it.
Coming as this does from the head
of the strongest educational organi-
cation Of the state gives great en-
couragement that Vermont will soon
be actively undertaking to shape it's
educational system to give the great
est benefit to the greatest number.
The severest blow to agricultural
and industrial development in Yer
mont has been the belief that edu-
cation could prepare for professional
life only. 1t has robbed productive
vocations of their best material and
over loaded the professions with in
ferior material. Now let us hope
that the schools of Vermont will
soon be furnishing all useful lines
of business with it's best material.
Another statement that will at
tract serious attention is that Of
Rev. F. S. Luther, president of Trim
coia hof
wasting time in educating our child
rem, that children should be kept in
school more days in the year, and
that teachers are not entitled to the
long vacations they now have. He
said, You ought to teach more and
get more for it,
The short term was established
when the home gave opportunity and
from the children than it does at
present. In fact child life is of lit
tie utility at the present time and
the long vacations are periods of
idleness that develop expensive and
luxurious tastes that only a few
families can afford. We believe that
the short terms of mental training
and long periods of manual effort
of the old times developed stronger
and more useful men and women
than present methods do; but if the
child could be more persistently