News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1912-03-06
Those Trips to Washington

Tips to Washington by graduating
classes of the high schools IF Vermont
have been quite frequent. There has of
late been some question as to the good
resulting therefrom. Here is what a
couple of state papers say about them
From the Barre Times
Over in Rutland some douut has been
raised as to the educational value of these
pilgrimages OF young people from The
high schools to the national capital and
that doubt has turned into vigorous OBJ
lection on the part of some of the par
ents. 10 commenting on the matter the
Rutland Herald expresses its option as
follOws:-
Educational value is rather an elastic
phase when applied to the trips to Wash
lnGtOn INDUCED in by students of the
high school, it Nas rather doubtful
Significance. l. is not clear why a good
still course in Gives and the elements of
constitutional law, supplemented 10y
lantern slide or moving picture repre-
sensations of official Washington, should
BOT serve every purpose. A least this
course would have the merit of eiminat-
ing certain doubtful educational features
of the junket. What these doubtful ed.
ucational features are, it were perhaps
invidlous to detail, bat there is no ques-
ton as 10 their existence.
1t has been our conclusion in this con-
nection that while some of the student
sight seers are closely taking mental
Impressions of these new and entirely
strange scenes, to be called upon as
fund of information later in lite, the
Others are ro nping through the excur-
sion, fitting from one thing to another
with butterfly instability and getting
little more than confused tumble of
ideas which are of little real value and
which, in fact, may be harmful because
of their inaccuracy. Whether these ex-
cursions to Washington. therefore, are
worth the large expenditures of money
that is required is a matter open to diff.
ference OF opinion. The trouble lies in
the fact that as a rule the excursions are
class affairs and, to keep up with the
others no one really wishes to stay at
home; in which case many go 10 Wash |
ington to whom the trip is not worth |
much, surely not worth the monty that
is expended. If only those should 90
who are mentally equipped to gam and
maintain information, there would be no
fault found with the plan, provided. of |
course, the students should undergo
proper supervision which, by the way, is
another matter of earnest discussion in |
Rutland as perhaps elsewhere.
(From the Mortified News
1t is not the trip itself which raises
havoc with the school. 1t is the year or |
two of preparation for the "Jamboree" |
aud the year or two after it which do in |
caculable damage. The individual pupils |
who take the hurried trip and are hus- |
tied and jostled around from pillar to |
post, and who on their return undertake |
TO have us understand they have seen |
where Lincoln was assassinated at Mount !
Vernon, and the place where Washington |
lived at Arlington, may get something |
besides exercise out of the trip. The |
pupils who have to live in the atmoS-
phere of the prospective trip and stand |
for the air of superior knowledge gained |
by Intensive travel which the returned |
excursionistS assume, they are the ones |
who suffer. A trip to Washington is to
be avoided. school doesn't recover |
from the i'll effects of such trip for |
years. All the pupils think about is
how to get mp an entertainment by means
of which they can raise a dollar to help
pay their fares. They forget their
studies, their home obligations, every
thing but how to get money for the trip.
And when it is all over not ten per cent.
Of those who went can tell you how they
got to Washington or give you any def
mite idea of what you will see when there.
From strictly educational standpoint
such trip is, as we see 1t, farce.