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

schools are now established. The re-
suit is that most of these children
pass out from the influence of the
school. We are this year experiment
ing with a type Of school suited %
the needs of boys and girls in these
smaller community centers. If We
can succeed III: developing methods OF
instruction and proper courses or
study for such small high schools
there is no reason why we should
not gradually increase the number OF
boys and girls enrolled in secondary
schools. I believe that this is In
keeping with the desires Of our citi-
zens.
The Junior High School
The Legislature of 1915 authorized
the establishment of a new type OF
school, the junior high school, and
appropriated $1,000 per year for the
purpose of assisting such schools
This is another evidence of the gen.
eral policy of improving instruction,
particularly in the village and ruraI
communities of our state. The or
ganization within these schools il
sufficiently flexible to meet the needs
of individual communities. If boys
and girls must leave school in order
to become wage earners it is essen
tial that we provide work such as to
avoid their feeling in later life thai
they wasted even the time they do
spend in school. In the rural COM
munities much of the boys work will
hinge about agriculture. The girls
will in their turn deal with the affairs
of the household. Students within
these schools will receive no less in
struction in arithmetic, in English,
and in sciences. They will, however,
study with some purpose and thus
they will better understand the sig
nificance of the subjects taught. In
these schools the way must be kept
open for those who will eventually
go to college but we must not close
our eyes to the fact that many VIII
never reach such institutions and
they, too, are entitled to the best the
state can offer. At present there are
IL such junior high schools in villages
or rural communities and one in the
city of Burlington. These schools are
receiving much attention in order that
the experience gained in their estab-
lishment and conduct may be made
available for other communities later.
We have been fortunate in securing
one who has given this subject much
attention and careful study as SUPER
visor of junior high schools. Those
who have Investigated this problem
elsewhere assure us that no state has
undertaken this work more intelli-
gently or with better prospects for
success than has Vermont.
Loyalty to Teachers.
There exists generally throughout
he state a most inspiring loyalty 20
teachers. Some of the most pleasant
experiences connected with my duties
as commissioner have been the VOL
untary tributes that have been paid
to our teachers and superintendent.
Such criticisms as have come have al
most without exception been temper
ed with justice. While this loyalty
is most inspiring to teachers it must
not be mistaken for contentment with
existing conditions. If we are to
have thoroughly efficient schools we
must have thoroughly efficient teach
ers. That Vermont expects the
teachers to improve is clearly indicat-
ed by its attitude toward the employ
ment of qualified teachers. The leg
islature of 1915 established the prin-
ciple of assisting those towns which
choose to employ trained teachers m
their rural schools. The effect of
this policy was clearly shown during
the past year. Between the school
year 1884 and the following year
teachers salaries in Vermont increas-
ed about six per cent. Between last
year when the new law was in force
and the preceding school year the
innTQa in tnQRhnrC' Yin
more that IL per cent. 1t has some
times been asserted that the towns
have used the states aid to decrease
school taxes and that the teachers
and schools have not been gamers by
this new regulation. This assertion
has no foundation in fact, for even
without the aid given by the state
the towns have raised the teachers
salaries more than $4,000. The
state will return to the towns employ
ing trained teachers last year approx
mately $4,000. The increase in
teachers salaries last year over the
preceding year was $13S,00O
New Method of Certiflcation.
On the first day of last July a new
method of certificating teachers went
into effect. Briefly stated, the pres
ent requirements for teachers certi1-
Gates in this state are professional
training or professional training ana
successful experience. Teachers ex-
aminations have been abolished. I
have sometimes regretted that my in
PRODUCTION to many teachers was OF
necessity in the capacity of a some
what stern judge of their qualifica-