St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-12-27
TAXATION AND SCHOOLS.
Article Written by Supt. w. c.. Nc.
Ginnis On Vermont Conditions.

schools ought to be increased for the
following reasons:
L. Education is a state function
2. The present system of taxation
for school purposes is unjust to the
Taxpayers in towns of small grand
lists and scattered population
3. 1t is unjust to the children OF
the sparsely settled districts in that
it provides schools of very poor
quality.
4. The present system puts a pre-
MUM on small weak schools
5. An increased state tax would
be the means of lettering the above
mentioned conditions, and of i'm
proving the whole system of pub
lie schools in Vermont
6. Better rural schools would
tend to check emigration.
The state compels parents to send
their children to school, and punish
es the pupils for non-attendance 1t
is the duty of the state to provide
good schools for all the children in
the state, and to equalize the burden
of taxation for their support.
In 1888 there were At high schools
and 27 academies in Vermont with a
total enrolment of about 1000. To-
day there are II high schools and
Is academies with 1926 students.
Secondary and higher education
have attained such a degree of ex-
cellence 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 20 years the high
schools have gained so per cent in
l.,
ance. The high school takes an
important part in public education.
The graded schools of our cities and
large villages have been improved
and developed until they are on
good basis. Many things have been
done to improve the rural schools;
change from the district to the town
system, town ownership of text
books, summer schools for teachers,
state aid for transportation, and
professional supervision.
While secondary and higher edu-
cation have been we'll looked after,
and the schools of the larger centers
also, the most important part of the
public welfare, from an educational
point of view, has not received mer-
tied attention. Half of the entire
school population of the United
States attend the rural schools. In
Vermont in 1910 there were 1926
pupils in high schools and academies
and 66,615 in elementary schools.
These figures show that less than 9
per cent of the school children of
Vermont go to high schools and
academies. These are an important
part of our population, but the go
who do not go are vastly more so.
Census figures and returns show
that the rural communities Of the
United States are decreasing in pop
ulation and that urban population is
increasing. In 1910 the urban popu-
lation was about per cent. Today
it is 40 per cent. This is not, as is
said, due to the rapid
growth of our cities independent
of their gains from rural population.
A study of the whole situation shows
that the country is always contrlDut-
ing its young men and women to-
ward the upbuilding of the cities.
Vermont is suffering from this ten
dency. She has no large cities to at
tract her youth, hence they go forth
into the cities of other states. A
study Of the history of the business,
political, professional, and social life
O1 QUIET S(dC0S SAOWS Iu0C CA A1O11C
has given and is still giving a large
proportion of her sons and daughters
to the maintenance and progress of
the rest of the country. But that is
not the worst part of our loss. Many
young people disconnected with the
life and opportunities of the country
are being drawn to the cities by the
glamour of city life and the expecta-
ton of a better chance for advance
nent. A very small number sue
coed. We hear and read about the
1oings of these, but of the large
number who fail the general public
knows nothing.
Census figures show decrease in
The population of many rural towns
since about 1860. A natural conse-
luence is that as the rural popula-
ion decreases the size of farms
Increases. We do not need larger
farms but more and better cultivat-
I'd 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 enthusiasm at any public
gathering when used by an eloquent
speaker, who has no intention of
going back to the farm himself. 1t
S a beautiful theory and one that
summer vacationists never tire of.
The fact remains that the people in
he city will stay there, also that
many country people continue the
,ityWard movement. The important
hing is to keep as many of them on
he farms as possible. The greatest
md most just criticism of the schools |
# Vermont is that the ytend to train |
he youth away from the country |
'ather than to train them for life |
N the farm. Francis w. Parker |
avs: 1.-THE tremendous advantage of |
rational course of work in the
ountry schools is that it would |
make strong binding union of the
-ome and the school, the farm meth
DIS and the school methods. 1t
Tould bring the farm into the school
nd project the school into the farm.
t would give parent and teacher
Z