St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-10-21

i
said the report of the Carnegie COM
mittee was really made to the teach
ers of Vermont because they are the
real critics of it's recommendations.
He thoroughly believes in the method
adopted by Vermont.
Progress in Vermont has made the
administrative system Of education
necessary. There has been a sudden
development and change of condi-
tions in Vermont and the people
must adjust themselves to it. There
is a closer relation and intercourse
between towns and villages today.
We need in Vermont one or two men
of the highest ability to supervise
and regulate the school work and
even regulate the appropriations for
educational work. We should bring
the schools of different communities
INTO closer touch and make the
schools more uniform in results pro-
duced. We must not be satisfied
with the name high school, we must
have institutions doing the work of
cal high schools. Many farmers
consider a school house near their
farm as an asset. They cannot real
ize that an insipid school has no real
value They must be shown that a
few live and complete high schools
are better than many names. YER
mont has So high schools today but
it would be much better if these were
consolidated into % or 20 schools
well equipped and manned. Four
fifths of the boys and girls now in
high schools Weuld be just as well
Accommodated and much better train
ed. With the development of inter
urban trolleys the consolidation of
schools will become more common.
Speaking of the junior high schools
proposed by the educational commits
sion he believed it would furnish
new and more efficient school at
time when students are the most i'm
questionable. Vermont is suffering
from a sickly high school system and
it should consolidate and ViVify these
institutions.
Speaking of the curriculum he
said no subject should be retained
in the schools simply because it pre-
pares for a higher institution. Stud
les should be something that are to
be really useful to the life the stu
dent is to live. Formerly college
was the goal of our secondary school
courses but now we plan to make
1909 of the pupils useful citizens.
Ancient languages should not be
abolished from the curriculum but
the study of these should not be
TO .ced upon those who cannot excel
in them. They are of no value to
them unless they can master them.
The teacher is really the school.
The better you make him the great
er monopoly he has in his wo. k. The
more efficient he becomes the less
essential are books and curriculum.
The teacher has responded to the pro
fessional demands but is not salts
fed. We must do away with the
tons of oratory about teaching and
COX 10 results. A spirit of frater-
nal and professional fellowship
should be developed. The working
out of some real live and large COM
problems will add to the
teachers standing and influence. This
organization should collect and sys-
tematize information about school
conditions in the state so it could be
presented to the legislature in a con-
vincing way.
Want Pensions Immediately.
At this point Superintendent
W. ht OF ST. Adams introduced res
olutions regarding pensions for teach
ers. They called for a cOmprehen-
sive system of teachers pensions and
asking the next legislature to amendf
the law so it will be made effective /
at once. They also recommended a
compulsory saving plan for the teach
ers similar to that in force in MaSSa- !
chusetts in which the state gives an |
amount equal to what the person is
able to save.
Supt. David Locke of Rutland fav-
ored the resolution and said they /
must assess the teachers if pensions
we're to be made available at once. |
Supt. o. K. Collins of Bellows Falls |
favored the assessment plan and said /
he believed the teachers salaries will
be raised as result.
Prof. HiIIegas.
Prof. Milo B. Hillegas spoke on |
Some Standards of Judging School /
He explained efficiency as |
the extent to which the school uses |
The influence of the home and the +
school. Teachers are being forced in
to too much work which eXhausts t
them physically and this type of eff /
icency is not what we need. The eff
which is needed is improved /
methods that will reduce the labor
and increase the output. Actual bust
ness outside of the school room Of
ten creates the resire for accomplish
nent in the school room. The hope of
a better salary will often enthuse a
student of arithmetic. This eficien-
cy inspired by outside conditions
sometimes begets contempt for the
school routine The actual study of
i've stock and other concrete objects
the efficiency of the school.
Nature study offers much greater adj
Jantages outside the school room
han inside. Some teachers have
'ound themselves without proper
equipment of books but through ap-
IeaIs to the children have discovered
wealth of books in the different