The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-12-27

than other states has sent Its young people away from nome
into the industrial occupations of other communities Its pop
ulaon has remained practically stationary for nearly half
century, It's young people have gone the other New England
states to New York. to the West With this migration there
question that the system of education hitherto pursued
has had something to do.
One conclusion stands out the fundamental and impor
outcome of this study is that the chief problem with
which the concerned is the and development of
its elementary and secondary schools No whose vision
would seek bette the problem of higher education,
but agricultural community such Vermont the problem
of the school overshadows all Others So overwhem
ing its Importance that is not too much to say that
the state develops efficient and fruitful system of elementary
and secondary schools and makes of effective
which teachers for the elementary and secondary schools
may be drawn the essential problem of education for Vermont
is solved.
The detailed studies that follow show that Of the 1000 and
schoohouses in the state nearly 00 school
buildings all of these rural schools Of the $4,000
children between the ages of five and seventeen $1,000
attending the elementary schools Few of these children enter
the school before six of age and practically remain
after sixteen For these elementary schools there required
about 24OO teachers whose pay between SIS and SO weekly
The future of Vermont and her citizens to be wrought in
these schools and by these teachers.
In similar way the detailed study elsewhere presented
shows that the problem of secondary education in Vermont
has the rural situation its essential factor To make these
two agencies the elementary school and the secondary school,
effective forming the lives of the children is the fundamental
problem which confronts the state.
study of the detailed reports will make it clear that not
whstandng the great amount of devotion put into the sep
schools and Notwithstanding also the intelligence applied
by this that supervisor the elementary and secondary
schools of Vermont have for years been conducted upon
cuum whose tendency is to draw children away from the
homes in which they born Notwithstanding certain
improvements the school still fails to interest them directly
and efficiently in the life about them. This condition is dealt
with in the two sections relating to the elementary and
ondary schools These sections carefully discuss the unda
mental questions What is the elementary school for? What
sort of school ftfuy and efficiently the aspira
TONS the needs, and the vocational wants of rural popu
laon? Whether the these questions have been
completely worked not it clear that least four
things must be done in order bring the elementary and
secondary school system of Vermont to the point where
agency of civilization it will the requirements of its
people.
First there must be adopted in the elementary school, and
later in the high school, Of study related to the life
of the child This does not that the strong intellectual
motive of the elementary school must be abandoned The
value of studies like the mother tongue and elementary mahe
MATES be questioned but it clear that the domna
ton of the college and of preparation for college has had
undue effect upon the of study and the methods of
instruction in the elementary schools nnetve per
of whose children to enter college The difficulty
arises partly out of the fundamental conception of education
of