Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-01-23
RuRLINGTON'o PUBLIC SCHO0 s
Topic Considered at Open Forum
in Progressive Club Rooms.
In 30 Years Teachers Have Increased
from ~ to 1O3 and Enrolment
Has Risen from 1,185 to
2,916.

the open forum meeting held by the
Burlington progressives in their club
room on Church street Tuesday evening.
The meeting was the first of a series
which have been arranged for the |
winter to take up the consideration |
of the general theme Our Public In
stitutions." The club room was well
filled. a number of women being pres
emit The meeting was strictly non
partisan. as will be the case in each
succeeding gathering. As explained
by T.. II. Russell president of the club, |
the purpose of the meetings will be
to awaken public interest in local in
rtitutions. At each meeting heads of
departments Of various city offices
will be invited to speak and those
who attend will be afforded opportun-
ity to ask questions AMI to express
opinions ms they may see At.
The public schools OF the city, and
especially the high school, formed
the topic Of consideration at Tuesdays
meeting. The first speaker was Su-
perintendent II. O. Wheeler, who gave
1 a general outline of the advance that
has been made in Burlington along
educational lines during the past 80
years Superintendent Wheeler said
that, speaking for the school depart
ment, Investigations of methods OF
( conducting the schools were welcomed
at any time. Mr.. Wheeler quoted
some interesting statistics show
ing the increase In teachers and
in attendance at the schools since
1881. In that year. he said. these
were 33 teachers as compared with
1903 at the present time. The enroll
ment In 1880 was 1.165 as against
2,915 at the present time, The pres
ent value of school property Mr.
Wheeler estimated at about 100000.
He spoke highly of the efforts of the
school commissioners to conduct the
affairs OF the school in the best inter-
ests Of the public. and declared that
he knew every action taken by the
board was taken in harmony and with
the best interests of the people in
view.
Mr.. Wheeler confined his remarks to
what has been accomplished in adding to
the school equipment rather than to what
Is being done In the way OF teaching. He
spoke Of the three new departments that
have recently been added at the high
SCHoOl anu salu tnat requests nave come
from outside sources for training in
manual training. thus proving that this
department was wise acquisition. Mr..
Wheeler said that the policy Of the school
board was to add to the equipment just
as rapidly as 1t seemed wise, after con-
sidering the matter from all points OF
view. He said that the public was always
welcome to come and inspect the new ap-
ma y q II nd W ic haip
The more detailed Information concern
ing the work that is being done at the
high school was outlined by Principal
! NJ. d. Chttenden. Mr.. Chittenden declared
that he believed the work In the high
school should be "conservatively pro-
gressive." Fifty per cent. Of the pupils
who graduated last year, he said entered
, the university. Mr.. Chittenden spoke at
5 some length Of the large amount of work
in various directions that Is expected
? of the high school.
( The parents, said Mr.. Chittenden, can
do much in aiding the teachers. II chill
dren are allowed to be on the streets at
night ana come to school In the morning
unfit for work. such a condition is the
cause of much friction. irritation and
trouble Mr.. Chittenden said that much
{ of the criticism that IL heard of the
, schools Is due to just such conditions as
= these over which the teachers have no
= control
, Speaking of the radical criticism that
I has appeared in some of the leading
magazines concerning the present educa-
ton systems, Mr.. Chittenden charac-
t,rized it as unfair in many ways. AS
1 principal OF the local high school, Mr..
= Chit,enden said he was always glad to be
6 criticized In order that he might correct
I any defects in the system. Cooperation
= of parents, he said, was one of the most
= important factors in producing good re-
t suits.
t An important point brought out by Mr..
Chittenden was the need for more land
near the high school for recreation pur-
poses He said that he had recently as
certained that the land east OF the high
school building and south OF the princi-
pals home could be made into desirable
recreation ground for very reasonable
sum He advocated adding this recrea'
-, ton ground TO the high school in the neal
. future in order that pupils might obtair
physical exercise. Such an acquisition
said Mr.. Chittenden. would do much to-
wards solving many OF the perplexine
problems before the teachers Mr.. chit
i tenden touched on many or the phases OF
: school work that are criticized at random
d by persons who are unfamiliar with the
obstacles in teaching. One important
}. uoint emphasized by the speaker was the
|, pressing need for the best teachers thai
l. could be secured.
= Professor j. +. Messenger gave breezy
live wire" talk on educational matter!
:. I'm general and few things In particular
:. that might be introduced in Burlington
7, He characterized patrons, teachers ane
/ pupils as the three important factors II
school work First, he said, much OF the
r. success OF the school depended upon thu
:. citizens Of the town and whether the,
is took an active interest In the schools
"Our school," he said, was a mucf
r. stronger phrase than the school, an'
Is where a community is found in which
our school, is the popular form Of ex
l. preston, there 10 sure to be found sue
r cessful school
The teacher, said Professor Messenger
comes next In Importance, No teache
can be a successful teacher unless ne l
A. keeping up with the desire on the part o
OF the pupil to do something" The teach
at err must grow continually In order I
TX teach the pupil to grow. Touclrlg on tn
s. need of children for "somethng to do II
tho idle months Professor Messenger sat