The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1912-02-22
SCHOOL II PERMISSION
sol4sc Pertinent Iaas Relative ~
Ihe ssiiooi Situation in Manshfs >
tr and bordering Towns

Relieving that the common school
situation Ia Manchester and sur.
rounding towns Il not fully appre-
eiAled ~ parents aad voters. wish
to rubmit few portluou, facts fof
consideration The assertions which
follow are based on what | have
seen IN the schools Of Manchester
during over two years work as
superintendent. discussions with
school directors and prominent cite
Eeus Of Dorset. fairly accurate
kpovltase o. wha, has been done
IN recent years IN trying to form a
supervision union. and q careful Oh.
Befsauon Of the work Of the enter
Ing classes al Burr & Burton Semi
nary during the past four years.
one fact for consideration 10
this II student is to have all
or a large part Of his tuition while
attending school for higher IN
slructlon. paid BY the town, he must
meet tie requirements SET by the
State Department Of Education b
passing rigid set of examinations
II Is evident to anyone who readi
these examination papers that III,
standard Is raised year after year
Aside from giving more rigid cHami
nations, beginning with 1911 al
papers are corrected al Montpelier
whore they are probably marked
more severely than they would be
BY the average town superintendent
The logical conclusion. and. ! may
say from experience, the actual re-
suit. IL. that. unless the children ar,
given every possible advantage be.
fore they are fifteen years cid many
OF them are effectualiy barred from
fair chance for schooling beyond
the common schools
II IL also fact that majority
OF the students III our towns. wht
are passing the State examinations
at present. are doing So by small
margin and can not be considered
well prepared for high school work
Their own work and the sehoo
which they enter suffer according
~
Where five children are able to
pass the examinations we shoulc
have ten prepared have seen
numerous Instances during tho pas,
two or three years where students
dropped school work FOR all time
when they would have continued II
high school work II they could have
received the benefit OF free tuition
The remarkably bright child Is safe
but ! maintain that the child Of az.
crage ability aud the child whose
ability falls below the average q
not getting the chance which on
state plans 70 give bin That the
children In our towns may have ali
tAe advantages 10 which they are
enliiled Il is necessary that our
schools BE- brought to the highest |
possible degree Of efficiency We
should AZ least take advantage Of |
all that the State Offers 10 give us
Ia the way d Improvement.
"a far back as 1906 the State pro-
vlded that II two or more towns /
would form supervision union ac-
oording to law and employ superin
tendeni who vas qualified for the
work and who should devote bis
entire timc from September /. 10
July / TO the work, the State would
pay 1900 Of the minimum salary
Of n.ss0.Note what the expense
falling upon such towns would bc
The formation q such ual0n
would be the first atcp toward
bringing our schools to a proper
degree Of efficiency Then why
not have III
do not wish these statements
10 be considered IN any way, a cri-
,icism Of the School Directors Of
the town OF Manchester, but. n Dir
ec,ors in ne,ghboting towns conald-
CT them rather critical. justify
them hy the fact that Manchester
Is not receiving the benefit which
a union would give her because adj
ioiaIng towns refuse to cooperate
Ia forming unl0n, Unfortunately /
onc town can not. hy itself. take
advantage o. tho generous offer on
the part o. The State The school
Directors Of Manchester are, and,
feF several years have been Ia favor
~ union supervision They have
repeatedly takea TIE Initiative ii an
oBaoayoF 10 form such ualon The
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