St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-12-30
PRES. THOMAS REPLIES
Does Not Seek To Discredit Carne-
gle Foundation-EndOr
Some Features.

Does Not Seek To Discredit Carne-
gle Foundatfon-EndO
Some Features.
To the Editor of the st. Johnsbury
Caledonian:
My attention has been called to
the comment in your issue of Deem
Der % on Professor Royce's letter
entitled "A Plea for Provincial In
dependence in Education" 1t seems
to me that you misunderstood my
position in important respects. l
have not sought to discredit the Car
negie Foundation nor to incite pre-
JUDGE against the findings of their
survey of Vermont education. On
the contrary, in my statement to the
commission March 20, 1914 I said of
the Carnegie Report
"The Carnegie Foundation has
contributed to the state of Vermont
something far more valuable than a
collection of discerning criticisms
and a series of disconnected desir-
able improvements; they have nam
ed the first and fundamental steps
of educational reorganization and adj
vance, which will enable the state
to make steady and continuous pro-
gress in the education of youth, and
therefore in all that pertains to eco
nomic, social, and moral welfare. )"
Furthermore I am not minded to
discredit the recommendations or the
educational commission. In a re-
cent letter to the Alumni of Middle
bury College, which has also been
published, 1 said of the commissions
report
ct is a valuable document, des-
tined to be epoch-making in Vermont
education, and deserving of careful
study by all who are interested IN
Vermont colleges and their relation
to the state I propose to stand be-
fore the legislature for the essential
features of the far-reaching educa-
tional reforms advocated by the COM
mission"
Il am not opposed to "an educa-
tional policy that will give every boy
/ and girl an opportunity to get an
Education, and that the opportunity
shall be ample and complete for the
primary and secondary schools
| where the bulk of Vermont child
rem receive all their educat1onl as
for the higher institutions. me
above declaration from your eel
torial is at least no stronger imam
NV declaration before the commits
SION
at accent further the principle
that the primary and supreme duty
of the state in educational matters
is to it's elementary and secondary
schools. The education Of the mass
of the people must always be the
first concern of the people. Money
that is needed for efficient admin
istration of a state educational sys.
tom and for proper stimulation of
local suppo~t for both elementary
and secondary schools should not be
diverted to higher education. Inc
college must not be a competitor 1or
resources that are needed by In, Ihe
little children of Vermont. Inc
nronosition to expend upon nlgner
education what is justly required LOT
the lower schools is not only IN
Unsuitable morally and from me
standpoint of public policy Dut II
il against the interests of the col
1ooa itself. since the college can
flourish only on the foundation OF
aficiont general education and broad
public prosperity.
The same position is taken in the
recent report of the board of educa-
tion as follows:-"Thei inequality OF
school advantages is the greatest
evil in Vermont education. The bows
and girls in many of the small towns
are not getting a fair chance. Thelr
school privileges are pitably meagre,
while their parents are taxing them
selves at a higher rate for the sup
mort of the inefficient schools than
is maid bv citizens of places ike
Rurlin gton and Brattleboro, where
OPPORTUNITIES compare favorably with
those of anv communities in New
England. The situation is wrong,
and it should not be tolerated longer.
child in a sparsely settled hill town
is as much a citizen of Vermont as
a child in Montpelier or Rutland, and
SO far as the state is able to secure
II should have the same chance. The
state must come to the aid of the
small towns in education, just as it
has done in road building"
AS to the letter of Professor
Rovce. when taken as whole and
not Judged by two or three senten-
ces, it is a clear, discriminating dis
cussion of the relation of state to
its institutions of higher learning, a
contribution of great value by one
of the most distinguished scholars
America has ever produced. 1t ad-
vances considerations which the fair
minded people of Vermont viii at
least be willing to weigh carefully.
1t came to me unsolicited, and am
not responsible for every statement
it Enthusiastically not for doubt
full differences which may be drawn
from it and which are directly OPP
posed to my published statements.
JOHN NJ. THOMAS
Middlebury College,