Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-03-18
JOLT FOR EDUCATIONAL FAD
Vocational Training Slammed by
SchOOlmasters at Banquet.
Crittcism for system under which HOY
Is Fitted for Two Dollar Day
job while His Mind IL
Neglected.

''""S evening AT tHe iiotoi '~''''
The Roy. e. V. Grismcr spoke for the
training of the pupils which would tend
to make them idcalistic and Professor
5. r. Emerson. who holds the CHAIR or
history at the university. in his talk
was of the opinion that the vocational
i2lnE - the whole school system would
be disastrous Charles II. Morrill, hit
vocational training hard In his humorous
confessions Of an old schoolmaster. Tho
banquet vas held IN tho main dining
room of the notol. covers being laid Tor
about sixty. and the menu was OF tho
usual excellence served Nv the house.
At 'hc mead table with Martin q.
Benedict. who presided as POSTMASTER.
were the Rev G. Y. Grismer Professor
j. T. Messenger the Rev. Charles
Leonard OF Troy Conference Academy
at Poultney, Dr Guy Potter Benton and
Superintendent Of Education Mason
stone
The Rev. g. Y. Giismet the first
speaker introduced made an appeal {"
the teacher to instii INFO his pupil
Ideals. Many pupils who come from FOR
eign or uneducated parentage haNs
ability where 1t is not expected but Their
capability of development rests with
the toacher who must create an idea!istic
leaning in them. II there is no ideal. no
matter how good tho teacher Is. o
progress is made. but once the Ideal Is
created the TEACHER has started the soul
on to something highe-. Some people
have a tendency 10 be too realistic and
fairy tales and the like have no place
in their chidreri's education. only the
real things OF NE being dwelt upon
These things have there place but ono
of the poorest creatures is the one with
no Imagination. It is not the veneer
which the teacher may he able to put
on to society or the little instruction he
is able to impart. but the ideals which
he has been able to create which abide
Dr. G1fsmcr spoke ~ the ideal Of i'm
mortality of the Egyptian purity OF the
Hebrew. beauty, symmetry and harmony
Of the Greeks. law and power OF the
Romans, and, although their homes and
cities and great parts Of their literature
have persisted. these same ideals remain
to our own time.
Professor Emerson, speaking as
chairman Of the library commission
opened his talk with an appeal to the
SchOolmaster for library day. The
function of this library day or hour. 3
may be the case. is to open to the Wig
ion of the young girls and boys the
vast world Of ideas which NAV be got :
ten from the good authors He asked
that each high school and elementary
school of the state set aside day on
which at least one study hour would be
devoted to the study of some OF the
good literary works. While the high
school could outline its own work to
be followed on this day. every teacher
in the district schools should he mad ,
to feel it his duty to give the pupils a
touch of literature. Professor Emerson
was Of the opinion that the school
teachers in Vermont to-day are open
minded, and conservative In the best
sense, that is, to hold 70 the best Gus.
toms and not reactionary. II Is
through the schools OF the commun!ty.
that society has tho best saving ele.
ment because they have the mower OF
v1talizing ideas into young minds where
they become living growth. The
teachers Of the present time face the
crisis Of vocational education and
whether or not the whole school sys-
tenn becomes vocationalized and disas
Ter follows the responsibility rests with
the teachers. If the schoolmasters OF
the hisher schools OF education with
their hroadened ideas could teach in the
elementary schools the whole problem
would be solved. but these lower schools
must be turned over to teachers in
competent for their work. Until the
big man Is ready to take a little Mace
not looking for his own advancement,
nut that of the whole. the work Will he
a failure.
Charles II. Morrill,, the last speaker of
me evening. IN humorous way. crtti.
'Seo 'he present tendency Of vocational
framing. with his confessions of the old
schoolmaster. Time was when the school.
master Followed In the beaten path of
his orbit. revolving about some central
idea, BY the one word Couture" hs
could silence all criticism but in tha
present day he finds that he ia found
guilty because his only plea Ia that Of
culture lie feels that to keep pace
with the times he must lend himself IN
vocational training So Greek is nut
on the very top shelf. history. Latin and
mythology on tho next and space Is
Kept for algebra and geometry which
soon must follow, and he turns himself
TO the erort OF educating the boy.'
fingers 50 that he may be fitted for
two-dolar-a-day job rather than his
mind be given thu. finer studies of life.
This Is done despite the fact that IN
many cases the boys father is himsel
better enabled to teach his son how "a
build bench or shoe horse and who
is DESTROYS Of giving his son the a1.
vantage OF n college education. Thi.
! college education the boy stands in
chance or losing because his teacher doc
not have the time to teach Latin. which
is absolutely essential. because he ha
turned his attention to instruction OF
new books. such as the encyclopedia
which teaches a thousand useless things
people ought to know. The speaker
who kept his listeners in laughter by
, his yelled sarcasm, appealed for more
| time and patience from the world tina
the schoolmaster might solve the prob.
| lem
The university quartet sang between
| the courses Of the banquet and also in.
terspersed the speeches with music. The
meeting was adjourned 10 the meeting
OF next October, to be held In Rutland.
THEY KNOW IT'S SAFE.