Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-07-16
,rNDATIONs MENACING TRUE ACADEMIC FREEDOM

The latest and most unprejudced and therefore most
conclusive evidence of this menace of academic freedom
Vermont particular and the entire country in general
to be found in striking development at the meeting of the
National Education association just held ST. Paul The
normal school department. including some OF the eaolng
educators of the world adopted this resolution:
1--WE view with alarm the activity of the Carnegie and
Rockefeller Foundations agencies not in response
BILE the people their efforts to control the policies of
State educational institutions to fashion them after
their conceptions sandardze courses of study
institutions with conditions which men
freedom and defeat the
of democracy heretofore preserved nvioabe in our COM
schools, normal schools and universities
1t would be difficult to formulate and condense in few
scathing arraignment and condemnation of
system then continued in this resolution The pity of it
is that these great agencies pregnant with so many tremen
dous possibilities for helpful service and wholesome upt
should have become arbitrary and domneerng in direc
lions foreign their original announced as to call
FORTH much less warrant of this nature
When the report of the results of the educational sur
vy of Vermont by the Carnegie Foundation issued the
protests naturally attributed to few interested cham
pons of higher educational institutions whose toes had been
stepped Now that protests have taken on national
proportions and have passed from the individual to the gen.
eral let make specific and direct application OF the
charge at the Foundations menacng educational free
dom and ascertain whether this is true of the Carnegie
Foundation shown by its uterances in dealing with
Vermonts educational problems and institutions
Let bear in mind while doing this that every State
the Union might decide depend upon it's neghbors for
them likely do it, and then Gull various statements from
the Carnegie Foundation pointing in this direction for Yer
mont
In the first place the report under the heading of Con
cusions and Recommendations page 10, attacks Ver
mont system of equal legislative representation of towns
declaring that "The unique political organization of the
State which each has equal representation in
the House of Representatives lends itself to such confusion
1t is part of human nature that under such circumstances
the local representative will interfere either for his in
terest for the supposed eres of the schools in his
gion. form of administration must be devised under
which inspection and scrutiny and development will be in
dependent of politics.
Those of who have been taught that the town meet
ing of New England powerful instrument for the
motion of true democracy and the development of that ste
ling character which has made this region famous will be
surprised to learn that the famous and sent out
to all neghborng States by Vermont had to such
tremendous obstacle local socude for the promotion
of education
After condemnng town representation in the Legsa-
ture, which and regarding in many
ways great element of safety it is natural that the Car
nege Foundation should demand the elimination of the
small towns control of its education of its boys and
girls and the absolute substitution of single central body
for the whole State which could readily work into system
of outside espionage Of entire system of education from
bottom to top.
To-day we have State body cooperating with local
authorities in the matter Of the development of public
schools and if either State of local authorities need greater
power easy matter to equip them Herewith and not
eliminate wholly the voice of the community in its edu
and development and not French Revo
luton.
Turning to secondary schools the Carnegie Foundation
demands that local high schools be stripped of part of their
functions and that their work be readusted in
ton with central institution that the great majority of
pupils would be forced to from home to this central
institution finish their high school preparatory educa
ton
The Carnegie Foundation would also abolish both of
Vermons normal schools training school for teachers
saying ut is pointed out elsewhere that neither of the
listing normal schools is fitted this purpose 1t
will be found wise to give both of these institutions
as may be-"
With reference to the colleges and the university the
Carnegie Foundation would also eliminate Norwich Unver
sity wholly says When to estimate the place
of Norwich University in such general of higher
education the conclusion is inevitable The institution has
such educational for existence the other two
The Carnegie Foundation would also abolish the State
Unversys College of Medicine and force young men to
go Harvard Yale the medical colleges for all New Eng
land 1t the position that ut is matter of
very small to them he people of Vemont where
these physicians trained long they educated