The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-09-14
LETTERS ToTHE EDITOR
Junior High School System Defended.

Editor, Barre Times. In reply "a
the letter printed Sept. Q, from /. r
Fortney, should advise that the par.
ents and taxpayers visit the junior
high schools Of different towns before
they advise their town representatives
The present high school system has
received very little attention from the
parents or the taxpayers. Doubtless
more than half of the taxpayers have
never been inside of a junior high
high school when 1t was in session.
Those who have not been frequent
visitors of the schools have little
knowledge OF the advantages OF the
present system over the old.
Among the advantages Of the pres
emit system is the uniformity of our
schools throughout the state. That
is, all junior high schools are teach
ing the same subjects at the same
time This enables the scholars to 90
from one school TO another without
loss Of time. Another advantage is
that the scholars receive both scientific
and practical instruction.
Mr.. Fortney made the statement
that, according to tests made in rural
towns, the junior high school system
standard OF scholarship was lower
than the old system. Now, there are
three reasons for this. First, the state
of affairs through which this country
has passed since the founding of our
junior high schools. The schools suf-
fered serious relapse during and fol-
lowing the Civil war. The same thing
has occurred following every war that
has taxed the countrv's resources to
the limit. The conditions brought
about by the World war will account
for nearly fifty per cent Of the diff
ctilties to-day.
Second, we have to-day in this coun-
try approximately fifteen million for
eign-bcrn people, and their children
attend our schools. Less than ten per
cent of these ever master the Ameri-
can Language, thus lowering our aver
age scholarship. Third, the present
system is new and il is not as perfect
a. 1t will be in the future. The old
system failed TO deliver the class of
students the world required and for
that reason the change was made.
Very few ideas are perfect in their
original form. For that reason | be-
lieve that only a little time il re-
quired TO make this system meet the
demand. In my mind the Junior high
school system is one of the greatest
inventions along educational lines this
country has ever seen.
From Mr.. Fortney's letter I gained
the impression that he considered the
teaching Of agriculture. home eeonom-
ics. French. Latin and some other sub
jects useless. OF in other words. "fads |
and frills." In agriculture, the boys
learn both the scientific and practical !
sides. They study the diseases Of I,
plants and animals from textbooks
and then from observation. They !
learn TO do things in a practical a.
well as a scientific way. BY the way,
il Is not the fault of any school sys-
TEN If boy Of high school age Is so
lacking in common sense that he does
not know enough TO put on old clothes I
when about 20 harvest root crops.
I should like to inform the public |
hat the girls in the junior high school |
10 not spend much Of their time learn
ng 20 make cakes using eleven egg.
Nearly al Of their work deals with |
practical cooking, homemakinx, dress !
making. the carr Of invalids and chill
iren; but in addition 70 this, they