Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1917-01-05
HILLEGAS' FIRST REPORT.
Present Laws Work We'll. Progress
In the Schools. No Drastic
Recon- ommendatlons.

cation since DR.. Hlllegas became Com
missioner has been made public. 1t
deals with the effect Of the revision of
the school laws by the last legislature.
This Legislation is declared to be working
out well and no radical changes are sug-
gested. The Normal Schools are recon-
mended for an increase in appropria-
ton, 1t is suggested that the number
Of training classes be diminished and
that ev entually the standard Of adj
mission be raised to high school gradua-
tion. The school year was heightened
six days over 1915 and fifteen days over
1910. The law providing bonus for
trained teachers has helped the schools.
These and other important features are
treated in the following extract from a
summary of the report.
"The act which authorized the State
Board of Education to pay the sums of
So, SO or 81 per week to towns employ
ing teachers of requisite trainingin their
rural schools has had most beneficial eff
fects upon the schools, These rebates
cost the State sos, 1920. Ina few towns
the rebate was used to lesson taxes and
teachers and schools We're not benefited.
That this was not Of common occur
renee is shown by the fact that the in
crease in teachers salaries between the
school years l9ll-l5 and l9l5-l6 was
more than ] per cent while the rate of
increase for the several preceding years
was about 6 per cent. In Addition to
the amount that the State gave, the
towns themselves increased the teach
ers' salaries by $40,0 600. The increased
salaries are attracting teachers with
improved training, The number of per-
mits has decreased from 100 in 1914 to
3 in the present fall term. The board
has been also able to raise the require
ments for certifcation so that no one
may now begin teaching in Vermont
without at least one year of professional
training and even those unframed
teachers who have had successful eX-
re"ence in this State prior to July ].
1916, are required to secure professional
training if the towns employing them
are to receive State aid. The Board
recommends that this provision of the
law remain unchanged.
"For the year ending June 3O 1916,
thirty-three teacher training classes
were conducted at cost of $33, 921. 23.
Three hundred thirty students com
pleted the teachers course and the
most of these accepted positions in
rural schools for the year 1857. The
Board believes that the number of
classes should be decreased in order to
avoid competition for students. This
can be done without materially diminish
ing the number of students. 1t also
deems it advisable eventually to admit
only high school graduates to these
classes.
During the school year ending June
30, 1916, the schools were in session an
average of IT'S days. This is an increase
of days over the preceding year and
Is days over 1910. Each day SO out of
every 100 pupils who were enrolled were
present at the school. This regularity
indicates that truancy or willful neglect
on the part of parents is not widespread
in Vermont, yet both do exist and the
administration OF the truancy laws is
very ineffective. A considerable number
of children who are required by law to
be in school do not enter school. Many
teachers do not have confidence in the
willingness of local officers to enforce
the attendance laws and so do not re-
port cases of unlawful absence. That
they are justified in their belief is shown
by the fact that for 1916 only ia ar
rests followed 0,399 complaints. There
is need of more strict enforcement of
the attendance laws and more careful
census of school children. The Board |
recommends that teachers, principals
and superintendents be required to re-
port truancy cases to the Commissioner
of Education and that the execution of
the laws be given to competent parole
officers.
"Section TT of No. Ga of the Acts of
1915 provides that after the State Board
of Education has paid the expenses of
general administration, the salaries of
superintendents and training class
teachers, the expenses of summer
schools and educational meetings, trans
portation and board, and rebates to
towns employing trained teachers the
balance of the school fund shall be "at
the disposal of the State Board of Edu
cation for the purpose of aiding rural
schools of the State and for the purpose
of equalizing opportunities and advan-
tages." The sum available for this pur
pose on July |, 1916, was S93, ,OO6.O2.
The Board apportioned $24, 1896. 63 of this
balance To assist the towns and cities |