The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-02-25
THE TENTH CONFERENCE
OF VERMONT SCHOOLS
Held In Burlington March III, II. and
10. Extensive Program 10 be Pre-
scented.


I To the Teachers Of Vermont
5 The Tenth Annual Conference Of u
g Schools Of Vermont with the Stat
= University will be held March ILL
The aim Of the university in arrangin
0 the programs for these conferences
n TO suggest problems which need cor
: sideraiion in the interests of educ;
tional progress. Last year the subje,
S was The School and Communit
1 Needs. The year before ii was Educs
{ ton and Health. We believe thes
z topics were timely, and the confer
, ences, helpful.
In discussing the various relation
and functions of the school it is pos
sible to underestimate the needs of tn
child himself. II is agreed that tn
school should serve the community an,
the state by which it is supported
Should It's duty to the community tax,
precedence over its duty to the chill,
as an individual? To what extern
should education be based upon
child's native capacities, and to what
extent upon the needs Of his particular
locality? If farm needs the boy
does is follow that the boy needs a
farm? Might a boy be born on farm
and yet be better fitted for some other
career than that of farmer? If YOU
were the boy or the boys parent what
kind of educational opportunities
would you wish provided? Lincoln
would have made a good farm hand,
and it would have been better for the
farm if he had stayed on it. Would it
have been better for Lincoln and for
humanity? Would making country
boys stay in the country and city boys
in the city tend to stratify society?
There are arguments in favor of
stratifed society and arguments
against it. Would it be an unmixed
evil to educate every country boy for
the city and every city boy for the
country? No one would regard this
as practicable but it may suggest a
thought. Does education for
environment encourage provincialism
Should we encourage provincial spir-
it, or strive for greater nationalism
The trend of modern educational
thought has been largely toward the
recognition Of individual capacities.
May not education for local needs run
counter to education suited to the
child's capacity Are we in danger of
losing sight of the needs of the child
in our enthusiasm for the needs for
the community? Is there danger of
an educational serfdom which binds
every child to his birthplace by making
him fit for that and nothing but that
In the coming conference we are ask
ing for a sympathetic consideration of |
the child himself. This letter is in
tended not to prejudice, but to slim
ulate discussion, and to call attention
to possible danger through overdo-
ing a good thing.
1t is hoped that the general discus
sion will be participated in by many |
teachers and friends of education.
You are invited to be present and to
take part.
Very truly yours,
J. F. MESSENGER.
Program
Thursday Evening at O'clock
Opening address, David Snedden,
Phi. D., Commissioner of Education for
Massachusetts,.
Friday Morning at $50 O'clock
The Needs of the Child
/. As determined by environment
I. D. Whittier, South SALISBURY.
g. AS determined by Unborn capac-
d. Collins, Middlebury
College.
%. The demands of the impractical
Frederick Upper, Jr., University of
Vermont.
4. Observation-Disclosures S. Abbott,
Montpelier; Walter j. Rideout, Dam
lille; George r. Stackpole, Winooski.
5. General discussion.
Intermission
The University invites nonresident
eachers to luncheon in the gymnasi-
I'm at 1890.
Friday Afternoon at O'clock
The Recognition of Individuality
in the School
!. Individuality and vocation-E.
B. Smith, Brattleboro.
2. individuality and the larger life
j. f. Colburn, Burlington.
3. The problem Of meager environ
w. Reimherr, Waterbury.
4. Discussion-D. w. McClelland,
2ichford; c. H. Morrill,, Bakersfield;
4. d. Casey, Springfield.
5. General discussion.