Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-02-08
EDUCATIONAL CONDITIONS
Commissioners IIilIcEas Addresses Board
of Trade Gathering In Montpelier
Governor Graham a speaker.

Montpelier. Fob. l. Several hundred
people, including State officials, members
of the Legislature, and representatives of
several boards; of trade. gathered tonight
in the city hall auditorium at the special
meeting Of the local board of trade at
which Governor Graham and Commits
Sioncr Of Education NJ. e. Ilillegas spoke.
The speakers wcrc introduced by James
q. t,stce, president of tho board of trade,
and Governor Graham spoke only briefly,
before giving way t. DR.. Hillegas, who
took as his theme Present Educational
Conditions in Vermont
Among the guests seated on the stage
were the state officers, President G.. T.
Benton of the University of Vermont,
PRESIDENT Ira l.. Reeves of Norwich Uni
versity. Senator Chalmers, president Of
the Rutland board of trade, and Repre-
sentative Harry Parker, president of the
Bradford business organization
Commissioner Hillcgas called atten-
ton to the operation of various feat
urcs of the school law enacted in 1915
He spoke in particular of provisions for
the trans portation of children. The re-
ports for the past year show that it
cost an average of less than IS cents
per day to transport a child to school.
Tho great majority Of parents are max
ms positive sacrifices in order to get
their children to school with reasonable
comfort 1t is only the exceptional case
that involves excessive transportation
costs. The present law is capable of
caring for even these cases.
The States assistance to rural school
teachers has had the tendency to in
crease the salaries paid in these schools
and to attract better qualified teachers.
The commissioner mentioned in partic-
ular the remarkable spirit of co-opera-
tion on the part of the teachers of the
state. one of the most important prob
lens in connection with the schools is
the proper training of teachers. The
State board Of education is anxious to
! bring about d cooperation between the
! training classes and the normal schools
| in order that girls who have taken one
! year in the training class may continue
/ their work in the normal schools.
The problem of bringing the school
close to the home was discussed by the
| commissioner He believes that it is
very undesirable that boys and girls
! be taken away from the home in order
! to receive the benefits of high school
! education, providing some way can be
! found for giving them adequate train
| ing at home. The junior high school
will tend to solve this question in many
communities. In some places it
| Will still he necessary to mainta in
small hiah schools but these must be
managed in a much more effective man
ncr than in the past.
In closing the speaker called atten-
tion to the fact that there is not one
modern educational movement suited
! to conditions in Vermont that is not in
successful operation somewhere in the
state. Nermonters need to realize that,
| measured by any of the standards or
! dinarily applied to schools, their State
ranks we'll toward the top. In partic-
ular, the cooperative arrangement be-
tween the high school and the shops in
| Springfield, VT, is probably the most
effective organization of that sort to
he found in the country. No better ar
ranGcment of agricultural courses in
the high school can be found anywhere
than exists in Orleans. Arlington has
set an exemple of rural school improve
ment by the community concerned.
Boys and girls from this State bring
home from various national meetings
prizes and rewards for the excellence
of their work. No Greater Vermont as
sociation meeting should be held with
out bringing to the attention of former
Vermonters the changed and changing
conditions in respect to education in
their native State.