St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-04-15
COLLEGES
(Continued from page 1l

probably the world and how much
better it would be if some of this
manufacturing could be distributed
about the country and several small
communities built up. He then gave
figures to show how the population
of the cities had increased much
faster than the agricultural produc-
ing people and showed how 1t was
possible to get the immigration of
the real Russian peasant, a much
superior person to what our Rus
sian immigrants have been, that
these people did not like the in
dustrial conditions in America and
if they could be started to the farms
could greatly increase the farming
population of this country.
Pres. John Thomas
Pres. John M. Thomas of Middle
bury College brought official greet
ings from the Middlebury Board of
Trade of which he is president and
then took up the subject of educa-
ton. He said it was a somewhat
difficult and delicate task for a col
lege president to talk about educa-
ton Just now, but he was willing to
take the subject with full confidence
that the people of Vermont will de-
eide the issues wisely and for the
best interests of Vermont.
where are we at?" He then
went over the history of education,
how it was first a private under
taking, then the school district was
sponsible for the education of all
the children, and the academy as a
private institution. Then came
A ~.
Mann, who preached education by
the state. 1t was said that the re-
sources of the state ought to be
available for the education of every
child in the state. Every town must
have schools. 1t was argued that if
the policies Of the state were to be
formulated and enacted by men we
must educate every man for this
work. A compulsory education law
followed and now the state is recog-
nized in the selection and certifica-
ton of teachers. The state is made
responsible for training the teach
ers and has established courses for
that purpose This is right as every
town should have trained teachers
for its work.
Responsibility of the State
This shows the great expansion
of the responsibility of the state in
education The town system was
made permissive in 1870 and obli-
gatory in 1892. We recognize that
the town is responsible for the edu-
cation OF every child in town. We
are in a state of transition from
town responsibility to state authori-
ty for schools, but we are not at the
beginning. We have certificat1on of
teachers which requires the teacher
to show the state she is fitted to
teach. ) Further the state has pro-
vided union supervision districts
with the superintendent. This calls
for a large amount of state funds
and comparatively little town funds.
Under this provision the state is
spending $4,000 a year to aid the
teachers. At present this super
vision is simply permissive but it
should be made obligatory.
The reason this is desirable is
the incompetence of local school
officials. They are not always wise
in choosing their teachers, in keep
ing school buildings in sanitary and
attractive conditions. The local Of
ficers may have proper ideas regard
ing what should be done for the
schools but they are unable to
Al ouse town support for these ideals.
The state in a tactful way must lift
the ideals of the local officers and
help them do what they ought to.
1t must have authority to standard
ize the work of the schools and
have order and symmetry in the work
of the school children no matter in
what town they reside. The state
needs a uniform standard for adj
mission to high schools. This is
work for the state as a whole be-
cause the whole is wiser than a part
The wisdom of the town is not equal
to the wisdom and influence of the
whole state. A state system will be
better.
The most compelling reason for a
state system is the need of equality
of opportunity for the child regard
less of the town in which it lives.
He then gave a very strong illustra-
ton of the difference in opportunity
given a pupil in st. Johnsbury
Academy and in a small mountain
town he visited the day before he
inspected the academy. 1t is getting
on the conscience of the state that
we ought to equaIize the opportunity
of the children.
We must face this fact, there must
be a balancing of local and state au-
thority in our schools. We must
stimulate the local authority and call
for resources from the state to sup
port our schools in the poorer towns.
building roads and the state must do
e. Il.