would do if prepared to teach in her schools to lend them a helping hand in the payment of some part of their expenses at these schools, on certain conditions, as to their teaching in the State. With respect, yours,

EDWARD CONANT.

STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, Johnson, Vt., Sept. 13, 1867.

J. S. ADAMS, Secretary of Board of Education:

DEAR SIR: Your letter asking for a statement of the Normal School at this place, my views of the necessity of such schools, the difficulties in the way of their successful operation, and suggestions as to the means of promoting their efficiency, &c., has been received, and I embrace the first convenient opportunity to reply.

The third term of the school has now begun, and though the number of students connected with it is less than could be desired, yet is sufficiently large to give a good degree of encouragement for the future. The building is new and spacious; it has been built with due reference to the health, convenience, and comfort of those who may occupy it; the apparatus is in good condition, much of it being entirely new, and is well adapted to our wants; an excellent library is provided, containing many valuable and standard works; and it is the general feeling of the Trustees and community that the school must succeed.

Forty-three students were admitted during the Spring Term, and two rejected; six were admitted during the Summer Term, and none rejected; twenty-four have been admitted up to date, this Fall, and none rejected. Additional applications have been made, and others are expected, so that the number admitted this Term, will, doubtless, be considerably increased.

Total number of students admitted at this time, seventy-three; number connected with the school in the Spring, forty-three; in the Summer, sixteen; at date this Fall, twenty-eight; total connected with the school at date, eighty-seven.

A class of five young ladies graduated at the close of the Spring Term, and none making application were rejected.

As to the necessity of some course of training for teachers, similar to that contemplated in the Normal School, it seems to me there can be no difference of opinion among intelligent men. A few visits to some of our District Schools will furnish evidence sufficient to convince any unprejudiced mind upon this point. In many cases radically defective methods of teaching will be found, in more cases still, no method at all; both evils causing a great waste of time and labor, involving much needless expense, besides tending to the formation of incorrect habits of thought and study, and laying the foundation for a defec tive education on the part of the pupil, thereby working a great personal injury, as well one as to the community at large.

The remedy for this state of affairs cannot be found in our Academies and Public Schools, as these, with the multiplicity of objects and aims before them, cannot give that special instruction, that thorough training, which is needed to fit one for the arduous and responsible vocation of teaching. This work can be done only, by schools devoted especially to this object.

The following seem to me to be some of the obstacles in the successful operation of these schools at the present time. The system is new in this state, its working and advantages are not well understood; consequently the public are not ready as yet to give it their patronage; they would see it more fully demonstrated. Again, the competition of surrounding schools will, for a time, at least, affect the number attending the Normal Schools. These institutions, scattered over the country as they are, and many of them having the advantage as to expense, will be loth to give up any portion of their former patronage, and in order to retain it, many of them doubtless, will, in connection with their own

proper work, attempt to do that of the Normal School, and thus retain their former pupils at least.

The fact, also, that certificates of equal grade can be obtained at the Institutes, will, I think, tend to lessen somewhat the number who would otherwise attend the Normal School, and thus retain their former pupils at least.

Last, but not least, the time is so far distant when Normal Certificates are required by law, that most of the older teachers will not feel the necessity of procuring them, and the younger ones, for the same reason, will be inclined to delay the matter.

As to means for promoting the efficiency of the Normal Schools, I would suggest that the certificate of a Normal School graduate differ in some way, as to grade, from that granted at the Institute, so as to render the former more desirable. Also, as another inducement to attend these schools, that State aid be granted, sufficient, at least, to provide for the tuition of those who attend, on the condition that they shall teach in the state in proportion to the amount thus received; and also that some assistance be given in procuring a suitable library, apparatus, cabinet, &c.

Were there time I should like to speak upon these points more fully, and also present others, which seem to me to be of importance, but the want of time and the pressure of other duties, compel me to bring this letter to a close.

Most respectfully yours,

S. H. PEARL, A. M., Principal.

To the Honorable the Vermont Board of Education :
GENTLEMEN.-

The eleventh year during which I have had the honor of being Secretary of the Board of Education of Vermont, will terminate on the day of your annual meeting on Tuesday of the second week of the session of the Legislature in October next, and I desire most respectfully to decline being considered any longer a candidate for that position.

I find myself thoroughly exhausted in the arduous and constantly increasing labors of so protracted a term of service, and my health so shattered that it would be impossible for me to discharge the duties of the office for another year, except under the most favourable circumstances, and with the certainty of the earnest and harmonious co-operation of every member of your Honorable Board; and that this I can never expect I have become convinced, by circumstances, to part of which I will allude.

You will recollect that I was elected Secretary at the annual meeting of the Board, composed of your predecessors, held in October 1866. At that session of the Legisluture, after the annual meeting, the Board of Education was reconstructed, the number of its members increased from five to seven, two of the members of the Board that elected me Secretary being dropped and four new members being added.

At the last meeting of the present Board, held at St. Johnsbury on the 5th December, certain action was taken by the Board, which will best appear from a quotation from the record of the meeting, as follows.

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"After reading the record of the previous meeting, the Secretary suggested that, as the Board had, since the annual meeting when 'he had been selected Secretary, been reconstructed, in its organic "law, as well as in its personelle, he desired that the Board would "immediately, before proceeding with its other business, by recon"sideration or in some other way, proceed to the selection of a Sec"retary. Whereupon, upon motion of Mr. Sanborne, it was "Resolved-That the members of the Board of Education heartily en"dorse the election made at the annual meeting of the Board of Education, and we pledge to him our cordial and united support." There were circumstances attending this action that added more than usual point and significance to this Resolution. You will recollect that I frankly stated that I had been notified by friends before the session of the Legislature, that an effort would be made to reconstruct the Board of Education in order, partly, to secure the adoption of certain books in the revised list, and partly to punish me for the sin of having been prominent in a certain then recent political campaign, as no hope existed of inducing the old Board to oust me on that score. You will also recollect that I reminded you of the fact which also appears in the Records of the Board, that the election of Secretary at the annual meeting had been once postponed to allow one of the sufferers in that political campaign to ap-. pear and show cause against my election.

You will recollect my stating that I had neither the grace to repent the course I had taken, or to promise not to repeat it in the future under the same circumstances, and that it was impossible for any man to discharge the duties of the office successfully or acceptably without the earnest and unanimous support of every member of the Board; and that I feared that my remaining in the position of Secretary would be disagreeable to the Board, and detrimental to the cause of education; and therefore it was that I requested the Board to consider me as having resigned, and proceed immediately to the election of a Secretary.

After such frank showing, I construed the resolution of the Board above quoted as an honorable pledge of cordial and hearty support and co-operation.

The next business of moment coming before the Board, was the selection of text-books for use in the schools. Some of the members of the Board knew that I was anxious to rid the schools of Greenleaf's Arithmetics, to retain Cornell's Geographies and add to them Guyot, and to substitute Willson's Readers for the Progressive, for I have advocated this in the Institutes and before the Educational Committees of the Legislature. But during the whole course of the proceedings of the Board in regard to the selection of books, continuing nearly through an entire week, the Board never asked my opinion in a single case, and when from a sense of official duty, I offered any advice, it was with great uniformity disregarded, every

book that I recommended except Guyot's Geographies was rejected, and every book that I opposed was adopted. The advice of the eminent and well-known practical teachers, who had been appointed by this Board at my nomination, and who had given their views at my solicitation, was in almost every case disregarded, and with attending circumstances which gave this disregard the aspect of premeditation.

All these circumstances, however intrinsically trivial, are sufficient evidence to me of that total lack of unison, which would add largely to the inherent difficulties and labors of the secretaryship, and make it impossible for me in that position to serve longer acceptably to the Board, agreeably to myself, or profitably to the schools.

And therefore, duly grateful for all courtesies received, with good wishes for your future success in your delicate and important functions, and in the hope that you may select a Secretary whom you will respect, and who shall receive that "cordial and united support," without which his and your labors must be barren of desirable results, and the absence of which, for any length of time, will inevitably result in breaking down our whole system of State supervision, or in the extinction of the Board and the creation of supervision resting solely in a single Superintendent of Public Instruction, I am truly yours,

J. S. ADAMS.

COMMON SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL LAWS.

BOARD OF EDUCATION AND SECRETARY. SECTION