Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1919-04-30
CHAPTER XIV
Schools of the County.

MOST pS41SNG llkcl We SlAOA40
be chiefly concerned with the care Of
chiIdren-not agriculture-for they
are our best crop after all, and one or
the most important factors IN the ed
ucation of these children, three-hfths
of whom live under rural conditions,
IS the rural or district school There
fore the rural school should be the
first country institution 10 find itself,
ahead of the church. creamery and
all other agencies" F. Thomas Kid
der.
Orleans county schools are much
the same as the schools Of the entire
state. All the villages have graded
schools. but the real school problem
: found n the scattered rural schools
n their ore-room buildings. There Is
10 complaint with the one-roOm
school as such ''but what every pa
iron OF the schools has q right TO de-
mard IS that the school building OF
whatever size shall be so constructed
and equipped as to minister most
largely TO the physical health of the
scholars" The school buildings are
generally in good repair externally,
though occasionally they are lacking
in proper fittings on the inside Most
of the one-room buildings have very
bad lighting systems with windows
on both sides, thus producing cross
lights and often the upper part OF
the windows are covered with Opaque
shades that shut off much OF the
light. The heat is usually provided
by 3 box stove, "a heating apparatus
that succeeds in roasting those who
have to sit nearby and in freezing
those who are obliged TO sit lar
away" Ventilation systems are IN
known. unless the common square
hole in the ceiling can be dignifed by
that name. Hooded stoves that pro
vide uniform heat. fresh air. and ade-
Guate ventilation. have been installed
in some schools through the agitation
OF the supervisors, and should be IN
all.
The brutal old homemade desks
and seats are still remembered IN
many localities. but now all the
schools are equipped with the new
stvIe desks. Since. however, these
desks are not likely TO fit. all the
pupils. the newer adjustable desks
are needed. Drinking fountains are
found in most Of the schools, though
sanitary cups are rarely used. Few
schools have running water, the sup
ply often being the nearest uncared
for spring. The authorities should
investigate these water supplies and
make sure they are safe 10 use
In the matter OF providing for
the education Of the children,s sense
of beauty, there is considerable room
for improvement. Nearly one-han OF
the schooIrooms have barren walls, un-
relieved by pictures or decorative de-
signs OF any sort. The task OF beautl-
tying the schoolroom is often left 70 the
initiative and industry OF the teacher,
who as a rule has little time and less
money to devote 10 this object More
over, many Of the teachers do not
fully realize the very close connection
in the training of a child between the
appreciation OF aesthetic values and
the clear vision OF moral values.
Except in a few cases the rural
school buildings have rather bare,
mean. unattractive appearance; and
the general disregard for the aesthet-
ic. Sort OF constitutes an invitation
TO the children TO dishgure the
school walls and outbuildings."
Most OF the boys and girls OF Yer
mont are being deprived OF the one
thing that makes city parents envy
the country schools, that Is adequate
Fairgrounds. Not more than one
twentieth Of the rural schools visited
had a schoolyard big enough for a
baseball diamond. The school
houses have been commonly located
beside the road, at some place where
the land was OF no value for other
PURPOSES" Many Of the Orleans
county schoolyards have been i'm
proved by the planting Of trees and
consequently they are not as barren
in appearance as is usually the case
The outhouses Of the country
schools constitute a difficult problem
and the conditions found IN Windsor
county can be expected TO hold good
in the county under discussion The
following comments in the survey Of
Windsor schools are OF interest:
L Only Il screened toilets out OF ~
visited.
2. Fourteen toilets under the same |
roof for both sexes
3 Nineteen needed immediate clean /
ing, smelling badly
1 Toilets were in indescrl0abIe con- /
ditions in cases, excrements open /
70 view and 70 flies
5. Only II well located and kept IN I
good condition
6. Many very smutty dirty remarks /
and suggestive designs On the
walls Of many toilets.
In both Orleans and Windsor coun-
ties improvement in these matters
has been made since the adequate su-
pervision was introduced
All the towns but four voluntarily /
placed their schools under expert su-
pervision before IL became oblga-
tory. While the innovation was not
received kindly by some OF the peo-
pie and some Of the supervisors nave