The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-02-21
LETTERS ToTHE EDITOR
Vermont and Her Rural Schools.

Editor, Times: Your article, entitled
Vermont Rural Schools" reached me
a few days ago. As my "first day was
in little red schoolhouse in Vermont
my interest and sympathies were en-,
listed The improvements mentioned
are neither meagre nor homely. They
prove that some person or persons IN.
tcrested in the Burke Hollow school
are alive with the spirit OF progress.
Although incapacitated for active
work in educational matters, the sub
iect always arouses my enthusiasm.
When read articles by such infiuen-
| tial men as DIR. p. r. Claxton, Lewis
Graves and John G. Tigart, calling for
three billion dollars annually Tor
school purposes, also insisting upon
two hundred thousand trained teach
ers and last and best of all that coun.
try boys and girls deserve and must
have square deal, decisions reached
through facts learned about our coun-
try during the war, ! sat back re-
lieved. The criticism was all kindly,
The nnderpaid teacher received full
sympathy. The war taught us how
quickly things can be done. We can
now have ideal schools. The battle cry,
Make the world safe for democracy,
can now be truly realized. But, alas
eOf all who live, am the one by
whom this work can be doEe in 1.-THE
right way"
The above is quotation, from the
pen of Henry vanDyke, 1t is not ego
tism. 1t : call to duty. 1 was espe.
cially taught in the little red school,
| house that all men are created equal.
want the Burke Hollow pupils and
neighborhood to feel this same respon.
sibilitv. We shall then find a way to
help the sch6ols in the sparsely popu-
lated sections Of our state TO hell
themselves as You have done. The Feb
ruary number OF the Home Journal
tells what some other communities
have done. Nearly every publication
| has some methods for improving the
country schools. believe Burke Hol.
| ow people have been reading them
and profited thereby. ] am now asking
| them to study the Gary system at
Gary, Ind 1t is ideal for city schools
but the same principles can be car
ried out son log, with the teachers at
enc end and the pupil at the other.
/ have visited schools from Boston
to the Pacific coast, including some Of
| the most famous primary departments
| in this country, also rural schools, be
ginning sufficiently early to permit me
| to do so. ] never failed to find helpful
suggestions to use in my own work
although it differed from them all. So
| repeat, study the Gary system. II
. teaches its pupils to think for them
selves in an ideal manner. They carry
out the principles Of President Eliot Of
| Harvard
Enlist the interest Of every pupil IN
every school in his daily task in order
to get from him hard, persistent and
| willing work. Only through interest il
work comes mental application and il
| hue course success and content in pro
iuctive labor"
Relate every lesson to something
IN the life of the child, so that he may
see the application and usefulness Of
| the lesson and how il concerns him
Teach all subjects, whenever posi-
BILE, from actual objects to be accurate
ly observed and described by the pu
pills themselves"
Make the training of the senses .
prime object every day"
Make sure that every pupil has 9
fair chance at the proper stage !,
] learn. in the laboratory method, th'
elements Of agriculture, dietetics, cook
ing and hygiene. every girl to acquire
also the domestic arts and every boy
| the elements of some manual trade"
The date on this letter shows that
am writi4 % Lineoln's birthday, {
man who thought for himself. For hi
laboratory he had the great outdoors
/ He was a keen. accurate observer o.
nature, as well az Of men. He learnes
from every person with whom he csml
in contact. He also learned the art o.
questioning.
The country bows and girls hav'
the great out-of-d doors laboratory. Blu
let us stop right here and insist tina
YOU find some other method Of teach
ing new subjects than requiring IL o
fthe regular teacher. Several Of m,
teacher friends have told me that TN
awakening Of this country 20 the need
Of education has resulted in the plac
ing Of additional burdens upon the al
ready ovcrworked teachers.
To me. an ideal method would be Z
have q hoy scout leader have charE
Of a certain number Of schools. Birl
study. botany. arborculture. study o
machinery and above al electricity
al in addition 70 the regular boy scou
training.
The fan Of 1920 spent back in %
neighborhood Of my little red school
house. A nearby plscard announce
that q governor vas to BE- elected.
tte best ore vas choscn. return Z
1.-THE spirit 81 the little nd schcolhous
uas promised. siso that the wonder
ful opportunity for developing thc elee
trtoai possibilities e the state real
ized- ! an Eot a i1cEs Of this u2ttfi