The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-02-21
School Survey With Practical Results.
christian Science Monitor


Vermont has found out what it is
to hare her schools Surveyed b. the
Carnegie Foundation FeiaE the n7.t
10 .Ivoi.e this attention she ms fc,.11d
IS herself II The public spirited
citizens expected less than a thorough
search and unsparng report, if they
sought from high and Independent
authority Endorsement of the schools
as a whole with only gentle hints of
improvements, they must be reading
with establishment the document that
is handed them. There is no tarrying
in praise, no waste of time and ink in
| courtesies. no discussion of vague
theories of education. bur a straight
out piece of advice TO the state 70
ehangc its policy in certain practical
ways, TO 10 differently from what has
been done in the past in the belief
that the state was furnishing model
of popular education. Plain spoken
and Gliding as the report is, there has
not appeared in Vermont any resent
ment Of. it. Praise and gratitude are
no more conspicuous.
Two things Vermont is advised TO
10. First, to stop giving money to
t hree colleges that are not under state
control and. according TO the specific
statement Of the Carnegie searchers
are not doing wisely with the money.
second to spend the money withheld
from the colleges and as much more
IS can be secured in ma king the com
4 mon schools better. The former has
/ already been commented upon by the
/ Monitor. As to the public schools. the
! state is told that half the teachers are
/ without professional training; that
! they are underpaid when they get <"
/ 4 week and less; that the schools need
/ il new program of studies; and it Is
advised to increase the high school
/ training classes for teachers, to raise
/ the pay, to get the work into some
/ relation TO the daily life of the chill
iren. that vocational courses be intro
duced and that the agricultural college.
which has been taken under cover of
\ crmont university. be made of great
er value 10 the farmers.
Next il will be interesting to observe
what Vermont does with the report,
I before reading it. There will be need
81 resOlute men in the Legislature and
in the educational boards TO carry its
recommendations into effect The col
/ l"ges will show a high order of appre-
citation if they make no resistance 10
the deprivation Of their state aid.
There will surely be the defenders of
The unframed teachers; even Massa-
husetts. with it's costly normal school
outfit. has hardly emerged from the
period Of discussion of the comparative
merits Of the technically trained
teacher and the one Just out from the
common school There may he contro-
versv over the vocational turn TO the
work. But there can hardly be an
reggie quest, with IFS thorough study
ana its plain, frank anil supported
program of lettering the schools Of
the common people.
Then il Will be interesting to observe
how far the commission : services are
solicited in other gates. Vermont is
NOT the only one 70 feel the need Of
lettering the schools and making them
yield more richly from the appropra-
;ions given them. The method of this
research. its thoroughneSs and inie-
Ependcnce, commend il To other states.
ANY Of them may be quite as vulner
able as this one Of the Green moutains.
If they have the right degree of readi-
ness TO know the facts and to make
them over 10 better ones, they will
profit by this state 5 example. II is
first Vermont : privilege 10 make the
example complete.