St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1916-10-18

The first session of the 67th An
nual Convention of the Vermont
State Teachers association opened on
Thursday. October IL, 1916, at 2
o'clock in the Strong theater, Bur-
Iington.
The occasion of this first meeting
was the formal Inauguration of DR..
Milo B. HiIlegas, who entered upon
his duties as commissioner of educa
ton July 1. 1915.
After music and an invocation by
the Rev. Isaac G. Smart of the Col
lege Street Congregational church the
welcome address In behalf Of the
city of Burlington was very happily
given by Mayor Albert s. Drew. This
was followed by a very fitting re-
Spouse and an address on THE Vital
izatiOn of Our Schools by Edwin L.
ingalls, of Burlington, the president
of the association. At the close OF
this address the chairman, Hon.
James Hardness of Springfield, pre-
scented John Huston Finley, LII. D.,
president of the University of the
State of New York and commissioner
of education of New York, who de-
livered a splendid address.
The state board of education
through its chairman, the Hon.
James Hardness of Springfield, then
formally indicted DR.. Milo B. Hille-
gas into the Office of commissioner
of education for the State of Vermont,
At the close Of the Inauguration cere-
mony DR.. Hillegas delivered an ad-
dress on ''Vermonts Educational
Policy" The deep interest with
which the large gathering, composed
mostly of teachers from every town
in the state, followed DR.. Hillegas'
address, clearly showed a deep loyalty
for the new head of the educational
department and a keen understanding
and appreciation of the wisdom and
foresight with which he is to direct
the educational policies of Vermont.
DR.. Hillegras' address follows:
Vermonts Educational Policy.
The educational policy of a state
is not decided by an individual nor
by any group of individuals consti-
tuting a board. 1t is an outgrowth
of the ambitions and aspirations of
those who constitute the citizenship
of the state. My task on this occa-
sion, therefore, is not to outline some
new scheme of educational policy but
rather to give expression to the de-
sires and hopes, as understand
them. of parents and others who are
vitality interested in the welfare Of
our schools.
In every state there is a desire to
have the best schools possible. No
state, however, has been more will
ing to do what it can toward the ac-
complishment Of this desirable end
than has Vermont At the state Of
fee we have just finished compiling
the educational statistics for the past
year. Brief references to these will
serve to make clear the trend of our
educational advancement
1t is self-evident that if children
are to profit by the influence of thu
school they must be in school Five
years ago the average boy and girl in
Vermont attended school a total Oh
125 days during the year. During the
past school year our boys and girls Oh
an average attended 141 days, posi-.
tive gain within five years of 16
days or more than three school
weeks. Not alone do we have a
longer school year but our parents in
general have not failed to cause their
children to attend. Out of every 100
children between the ages of five ana
Is, IS were registered in our public
schools. When we add to those IN
the public schools the considerab BILE
number who attend private and pa
rochial schools we have reason to feeA
proud of the large proportion of those
of school age who are in attendance
at some institution. 1t is difficult 10
compare school attendance in Yer
mont with that of other states. A
large proportion of our school popu.
lation is found in rural sections,
sometimes remote from the schools.
Vermont has, nevertheless always