The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1920-11-18
TEACHERS FOR RURAL SCHOOLS

The greatest educational need OF to-
day is more and better rural schools.
The decrease in the number Of
firms, the appalling increase in aban-
doned farms, is the direct result Of tho
Capitalization Of schools
People will not buy and live upos
the back farms and have their little
children 'carted like calves 70 mar
ket" to central schools
Every year the number OF abandon
ed farms is increasing and the hous-
ing question in villages and cities /,
becoming worse.
Restore the rural schools; establish
3 school for small children wherever
there ere ten or more children TO be
educated
"Jt cannot be done" say these IN
charge ~ our schrol system, "bc .Huse
there are no teachers to be had"
Why?
Because our whole school system il
framed to educate pupils away from
the farm and teachers away from the
rural school
One teachers college for training
for the graded and higher schools is
needed, perhaps.
But
We need more teacher training
schools scattered over Vermont 10
train teachers simply to teach in rural
schools.
We need one AT Johnson. one at Cas-
tlcton, and one in every county in Yer
mont-the latter as adjunets to some
central high school.
1t will cost too much? -.
No.
Abolish the carting of pupils to ce.-
trail schools.
That alone will more than pay for
dozen teachers training schools
Hire teachers according TO the work
they are 10 do, the same as in every
profession
Those for rural schools do not need
10 be qualified TO teach Latin and the
higher branches" only the primary
studies, the fundamentals.
These have been woefully neglected.
Too much stress has been laid upos
he higher branches"
We must begin at the bottom and
ay solid foundation--on the funda
nentals, reading, writing, spelling,
etc"
Advance pupils to central town or
illage schools only when well ground
d on and in the fundamentals in the
little red school house." the rural
chools.
Those who are too poor to go 10 the
entral schools should be helped, and
hose only.
That is our idea Of the big questio.
nat is coming before the legislature
its next session.
Rightly solved il settles the school
uestion; il settles the abandoned
srm question: and il settles the hous-
" question.
This state wide demand for the res
-oation Of the rural schools is not an
fort 10 tear down our school system,
5 the Vermont city dailies intimate,
u an honest effort TO build our school
ystem upon a solid foundation-not
pom the sands Of superficial educa-
on with little or no solid foundation
1 the fundamentals
II is not drive in the interest Of
primal schools but for more and bet
r training schools. II is for
Training schools 20 provide
schers for rural schools
Normal training schools 20 pro
de teachers for more advanced
hools
3-A teachers training college, II II
,es not cost TOO much, to provide
achers for the high schools
Remember the homely but pregnant
ntonce Of Mrs Fletcher. The boy or
RI who leaves the farm for the shop,
rely comes back 70 the farm"
Juat as surely, the teacher trained
a college rarely II ever is willing
90 back and teach in the rural
Bool and. Z she does, nine times out
ten. she Is a failure, because she has
{ been educated 10 teach in primary
lools but in the advanced Or higher
so0is
Remember three hfths u our
lools today. centralized a. they are.
{ rural schools
For these there is great lack ~
iehers. trained 70 teach n such
lools Norrisville Messenger