News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-02-17
A Blow at the Home
randolph Herald)

The m re the Carnegie educational bill
is stunIed, the more fantastic its ain
features appear and the stronger rise IN
superable obstacles to its successful opeI-
alton, should il be enacted. Take the
junior high school scheme, for instance.
Every town where the number of pupils
is sufficient reasonably TO warrant it shall
maintain one, and only one, junior high
school. The elementary schools are TO
receive pupils at six years of age and ais
charge them at twelve. Then the junior
high school takes them for four years,
and at sixteen they are turned over to a
senior high school for two years more.
What does this mean? 1t means that
substantially all the children of Yer
mont-all who do not chance to live in
the immediate locality OF HE spot chosen
as the site for the junior high school
are to be transported daily. in all kinds
of going and weather, to some central
point in town-perhaps five or six miles
away-and brought back at night. day in
and day out, for thirty-six weeks in the
year, for four years, with all that this
implies in Vermont. Either that, or they
are to be boarded near the school for the
same period, under influences quite diff
ferent than those of home, and virtually
lost to their parents from then onward.
Are parents in our rural communities
likely to approve of this? Do they want
their boys and girls of twelve taken from
them in this way?
See what chaos it would bring to exist
ing school conditions? Our rural schools
are weak now and many of them can
scarcely maintain the legal attendance.
With the last two.years of these schools
Topped off and the advanced pupils cen
traIzed to junior high school, what
shape would they be in to do effective
work? Many of them would have to
close and still further centraliz alton OF
rural schools would ensue, with the
necessity of transporting the little pri-
mary pupils long distances. Our farm
ing communities are not likely to invite
this condition if they know it.
The towns. under this bill, are required
10 provide school buildings. The junior
nigh schools would require large and
costly plants, while the abandoned little |
red school houses would be left 20 rot
Town; unless, after a few years the new
scheme should be gwen up, when the |
same fate woud meet the expensive
uniOr building.
And much the same conditions would |
ollow in respect to the fewer number of
senior high schools. AT present, they are
adjusted to their demands. The Came
lpon them. quite beyond their present
capacity. What assurance would there
"a that if they enlarged to meet it an
diverse public sentiment two years hence
night not leave them burdened with
needless debt
The whole plan reeks with the idea of
at whatever cost in money
II effort or personal hardship or sacrifice
Children of immature age belong at
lome, and are needed there for tie COM
Qrt and welfare of the home circle. This
ill is the wickrdest blow at the home
yer put forth seriously in Vermont. It's
oreigu conception excuses it some what.
ut its endorsement by VermonteIs of
haracter aud standing as means of i'm
rowing the state is simply astounding.