ANNUAL REPORT OF THE VERMONT BOARD OF EDUCATION, WITH THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY MADE TO THE BOARD, September, 1863. BURLINGTON: TIMES BOOK AND JOB PRINTING ESTABLISHMENT. 1863. REPORT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. To the Honorable the Legislature of the State of Vermont : GENTLEMEN: The Board of Education hereby submit their Seventh Annual Report. The account of their "official doings" since the last report needs to occupy your attention for only a brief space. By an act of the Legislature of 1862, it was made the duty of the Board, at its then next session, to select some suitable book or books, to be used in the district schools of the State as text-books of the geography and history of Vermont. In obedience to that law, the Board, at its session at Middlebury on the 18th of February, 1863, selected provisionally a work by the Rev. Samuel R. Hall, then in manuscript, which, when perfected in accordance with recommendations of the Board, will, it is believed, well answer the purpose of such text-book. In connection with this topic, the Board cannot forbear to express their great gratification that the Legislature has made provision for special instruction in the geography and history of our own State. The almost total want of such instruction hitherto, has left the children of the State destitute of a species of knowledge, not only important and interesting in itself, but indispensable to the right performance of their future duties as citizens of Vermont. It is ardently to be hoped that when the selected textbook shall be ready for use it will be introduced as extensively and used as generally as the spelling-book, the arithmetic, or any other text-book in the elements of knowledge. For a detailed account of "the state and condition of the schools," reference is made to the full Report of the Secretary herewith submitted. It presents cheering evidence that our common school system is steadily gaining in popularity, increasing in efficiency, and proving itself competent to accomplish all that can reasonably be expected of a system. The practical administration of the system is mainly in the hands of the Secretary, and the Board have entire reason to be satisfied with the zeal, energy and discretion with which he has discharged the duties of his responsible position. Early in the existence of the Board, the Secretary was instructed to take particular pains to effect a more general acquaintance with the laws on the subject of our common schools." In compliance with these instructions he has recently prepared a complete digest of the statutes now in force, and of decisions of the Supreme Court construing these statutes, which, with a copious index and numerous practical forms, are appended to his Report. The conscientious fidelity and painstaking with which this has been done give assurance of the accuracy of the work, and the Board cannot but regard it a most valuable assistant to legislators, superintendents, district officers, and all others who have occasion to know precisely what is the law in regard to common schools. The statute makes it the duty of the Board "to recommend to the Legislature, from time to time, such alterations, revisions, or amendments of existing laws relating to common schools as in their judgment are demanded in order to the perfecting of a system of general education in the State." Under this requirement the Board feel constrained to call the attention of the Legislature to a serious defect in the law; a defect so serious, indeed, that, in the judgment of the Board, an omission to repair it will leave the law in a state of comparative wothlessness. This defect did not exist in the law as originally enacted, but was occasioned by the general revision of the statutes last year. Its injurious consequences have, therefore, as yet made themselves apparent only to a limited degree, and it is to be hoped that a timely restoration of the law to its former state will prevent the mischief that must otherwise ensue. The law as originally enacted, and remaining in full force till August 1st, 1863, required the Secretary of the Board to hold one or more Teachers' Institutes annually in each County, authorized him to employ such assistance as might be necessary to give them efficiency and interest, and appropriated not exceeding thirty dollars a year to each County to defray the expenses. In the general revision of the statutes, the clauses authorizing the employment of assistants and making the needful appropriation were omitted. The practical effect of this withholding the appropriation can only be to deprive the Institutes of so much "efficiency and interest" as can be given to them by a judicious expenditure of the sum appropriated. While this would leave the Institutes in existence and capable of rendering some valuable aid to the cause of common school education, it would so greatly diminish their usefulness as to render it a serious question whether their absolute discontinuance might not be advisable. In view of such an injurious contingency the Board earnestly recommend the restoration of the law to its original state. The importance of the subject justifies, and even demands, a somewhat full exposition of the benefits rendered by Teachers' Institutes to the cause of education. Teachers' Institutes are schools for instruction in the art of teaching. They are conducted by persons whose large experience in teaching and thorough familiarity both with the science and the art of instructing qualify them to give reliable information and advice concerning that subject. They are attended by persons who are engaged or expect to be engaged as common school teachers. Their objects are to give correct views of the methods of teaching, to impart greater readiness and skill in the prosecution of those methods, and, more important still, to kindle that generous enthusiasm for the teacher's work and hearty devotion to it, without which it can be no better than dull, dreary, monotonous task-work, vexatious to the teacher and worse than profitless to the pupils. They are the connecting link between the Normal school and the Teachers' Association, partaking of the advantages of both, and, with them, constituting a sufficient and well adjusted system of organization for the improvement of teachers. They secure for teachers the advantages of intercourse and sympathy, and afford them the opportunity for a comparison of views and interchange of experi ences. This statement of the objects which Teachers' Institutes seek to accomplish furnishes most cogent reasons why they should be |