The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-05-22

also taught.
Your committee does rot wish to
have it understood that the school at
Randolph is in any sense theoreti-
cal school OF agriculture, on the
contrary it is emphaticaily practi-
cal school and the practical and the
oretical courses are used to supple
ment each other.
Tuition.
Vermont boys attending this school
are not charged any tuition. Boys
from outside the State are charged
a tuition of $40 year. All boys are
expected to furnish their own towels
bed linen, blankets, ETC., and to pay
for laundering the same and are
charged s6 per week for board and
lodging.
Their expenses for textbooks and
reference books run from $40 to $50
year and every boy Is expected TO
remain at the Randolph school for
the nine consecutive months that
make up the school year. The
school encourages every boy to take
UP some farm project during the
! summer vacation and il possible
some member of the faculty visits
his farm during the vacation for the
purpose of inspecting and supervis-
;ng his work.
Opportunities are given to the stu
dents to do outside work for compen-
sation in the evenings and on Satur-
days. while in attendance at the
school There Is also an opportunity
for boy to earn something by work
ing in the dormitory.
Out OF last years graduating class
OF 90 students at least so per cent.
returned to work upon Vermont farms.
Summary.
Your committee has gone into con-
siderable detail in inspecting and de-
scribing the buildings, stock and
methods of instruction at the The
odore NJ Vail Agricultural School and
Farms and the Vermont State Agricul-
tural school at Randolph Center. We
have done this in order to place be-
fore your Excellency and the mem
bers of the joint committee, the con-
ditions as we have found them at
these schools. While visiting the
schools your committee had ample
opportunity to observe the students
at their work in the barns, shops and
classrooms We converged freely
with the students Of both institutions
as well as with the instructors and
we cannot speak too highly of the
enthusiastic feeling OF cooperation
that exists between the members Of
the faculty and the student body at
both institutions and their loyalty to-
ward their respective schools.
Some criticism has been made that
the Theodore N. Vail Agricultural
School and Farms and the Vermont
State School OF Agriculture are
maintaining parallel courses and for
that reason one or the other should
be discontinued. Your committee af-
ter examining into the educational
methods of both institutions found
that certain important differences ex-
list between the schools at the The
| odore N. Vail Agricultural School at
| Lyndonyille and the State School OF
| Agriculture at Randolph Center.
Some OK these differences are due
10 the conditions surrounding the
two schools, Others represent diff
ferences in policy. The deed OF gift
OF the Theodore N. Vail Agricultural
School definitely fixes the entrance
requirements at that institution. Thu
important question concerning the
boys entrance at this school is mo-
what education he possesses but
what opportunity there is for tho
school to be OF service TO him, There
are, therefore, no limitations as re
CARDS age or experience.
At Randolph, ON the other hand. Il
is desirable to make rather definite
entrance requirements and to insist
upon at least the equivalent of gram
mar school graduation as minimum
entrance requirement. II has always
been customary for this school to re-
ceive considerable number OF
graduates from approved highschools
The work must, therefore, be suited
to the ability OF these more ad-
vanced students.
A second difference Is indicated in
the possibility OF self-support al
these schools. At the Theodore N
Vail school it is possible for any Yer
mont boy TO earn all OF his expenses
For this purpose the school is organ
lied in the same manner as the part
time basis in the industries. On
WpCh Al AbuA AiAp wy WI No III WakNh
on the farm and in addition has tn
opportunity to work for wages at
times when he is not receiving in
struction.
At the State School Of Agriculture
at Randolph, on the other hand, tht
State Board of Education cannoi
promise to prospective students tho
opportunity to earn any large par
OF their expenses. This is due &c
the size of the farm and the lack OF
labor needs. Even though boys are
able to secure work on adjacent
farms there is no advantage that
comes from such service other than
the financial one because the boys
cannot be under direct supervision
A third difference is found in the
type Of instruction, Both schools
aim at preparation for Vermont
farming, The course Of study at the
State School of Agriculture at Ran
dolph Center requires at least one
half of the boys time for practica
work. The other half is devoted Il
systematic study of science auc
kindred subjects related to agri
culture.
At the Theodore N. Vail School OF
Agriculture the entire course is de
voted to farming The sciences and
mathematics are treated when the
occasion arises in connection with
actual farm practice