Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-12-22

engaged IN the various pursuits OF life. Some are
attending private schools schools Of higher grade
others are sick temporarily prevented or for vafi
reasons have not attended school during the par
ticular year. And, in my opinion, only very few,
can be found who have not been taught In schools
or whose education Is entirely neglected. Taking
this county az the general average Of attendance,
I Wisconsin has larger ercentage Of school aten-
dance than can I've shown by their statistics IN any
European country, Prussia with her perfected sys-
TEN and compulsory law not excepted An unpopu.
lar compulsory law there is good reason to believe
would not resu In so large attendance as can be
secured by directing our energies toward qualifying
| our teachers and perfecting schools.
From An examination Of teachers reports find
that the number Of cases Of corporal punshment Is
continually diminishing. SO unpopular has II become
that teachers sed ON nhic corporal punishment I'M
I'll abso uteiy necessary as last resort, when all
other means have failed They seem to feel pro-
fessonn pride In being able report no case OF
pora punishment during the term and II Is general
ly accepted as an indication Of superior ability pro-
vided the discipline Of the school has not suffered In
consequence This lesre to avoid Furnishing has a
good effect upon teachers themselves it prevents
the Notifying reflection that they have punished
child hastily or without sufficient cause. with
due severity. II also heads them to exercise
yigianc. and care the general conduct Of their
scholars; to study their natures and dispositions; to
cultivate and appeal to their moral natures and to
seek - discover and avoid which TEND to DISC
bedence. | would not advocate the passage Of law
prohibiting the inhiction OF corporal pun
ishmeni, hut trust advancing civilization and the
discipline viii render its infection seldom necessary
During the past year have required reports from
teachers at the end Of each term Of school only IN
stead Of monthly as rrnerly. This have conclud'
ed answers the purpose desired. with far less labor to
/ both teachers and Superintendent The system OF
| term OF monthly reports, not only furnishes much
valuable information not otherwise easily obtained In
relation to the condition Of The schools but also has
salutary effect In promoting thoroughness and sys
/ tenn IN teaching and government Having been
/ thoroughly tested throughout the State, and uni
J formly conceded to BE- valuable auxiliary to our
work, securing cooperation between teachers and
Superintendent, it should be provided for and regu
! lated by law.
! have also inserted In Teachers Certificates, a
note requiring them to report by mail TO the County
! Superintendent at the beginning Of each term OF
school the town and pumber of the district in which
/ they engaged to teach. the time Of commencing
| and the length of term. By this means know the
| teacher employed and for what length Of time In
| every district in the county This knowledge have
/ always ound 10 be Of great advantage In arranging
my work and naaintang supervision OF the schools.
1t is only through the agency of these frequent re
ports personal visits, extensive correspondence, and
| by the Of every other means within his reach,
| that the Superintendent can reasonably expect TO
! perform the very difficult but most important duty
| Of maintaining constant supervision OF the school
In our own county as well as throughout the state
! there seems to be tendency to push forward into
| the profession very young teachers, generally
young girs before they Of sufficient age and dis
crttion to be entrusted with the charge of school ;
and having but little understanding of the RESPONSE
! bites they so willingly assume. Simply having nc-
/ guired, and often in very ttial manner, the
least amount of knowledge OF the dill rent branches
tina, can be accepted for third grade certificate, is
! not enough to constitute successful teacher 1t
also requires maturity OF thought and Judgment
and knowledsr Of the world, Although possessed Of
! the requisite qualifications in regard TO education,
have generally refused to license teachers under sx
! teen years Of age, and in my opinion there nte bn
few even of that age, who should he permitted to I'M
dertake the government and management of a school
| b.ya all frppnpntlx observed that TN who
mence very young. having attained TO the very high
est point Of their ambition in this direction, cease
their efforts for Improvement, and fail to become SO
| wen qualified and useful as they would have been
had hey been kept on longer probation,
! Complaints sometimes made that our examna-
! ons are too ligd excluding some who in the esti
nation Of friends are really qualified and on the
! other band complaints are sometimes made that our
examinations are too easy; enabling others to OBJ
ain certificates, who, In the opinion OF not over par
| tal friends are not qualified, Assuming that the
! true course lies between these extremes, the pan
pursued Is probably near right as possible under
! he circumstances 1t has frequently been observed
and i, is probably true, that examinations have u
somewhat broader range and occupy more time than
| those of some other counties Simply answering such
! questsons as ''What lisa nounW What Is a verb"
'Wha is Geography ?" &c, in school BOOK phraseo'
ocy does not. TO any great extent, test the apph-
cants practical knowledge Of the subject. Avoiding
such MS m ight be considered puz2liug or ambiguous
endeayor to submit such questions, the answers to
which REQUIRE the exercze of thought and Judgment.
| gXamuat conducted CHltllN III WIlllN4.
In each branch the applicant is furnished wtha pa
| uer continuing ten printed questions. The anwers
are to be written out in fun, folded numoeled, ana
returned Tor examination. The papers are carefully
examined and each answer mai ed according to its
value and no candidate Is rejected without careful
re examination of his papers The papers are also
preserved Tor year at least and can he referred
| to in case of mistakes dissatisfaction To sran-
ger these ans NUT be generally the absolute test
| OF qualifications; but from personal acquaintance,
previous EXAMINATIONS success In teaching the SUI
| perintendent may vary these results according to
| circumstances Sometimes the answers may be
| technically wrong and yet show fair knowledge OF
! the subject, Or the answer may be correct and the
spelling and composition SO poor as not TO be accept
ed some embarrassed ana appear to great as
| advantage. Others have previously shown superior
skin in teaching and yet fail in the examination. All
| these things should be taken into consideration in
estimating the qualifications of those who are to have
| charge Of schools.
| vocal music has been introduced into many of our
schools especially those taught by females and uni
formly with good results Not that the science OF
music taught but the schools are opened and closed
with singing some familiar piece IN which u ~ evil
IDENTIFY the delight of the whole school TO join and
frequently in the midst Of session, when the schol-
ars have grown dull and restless and study rksome,
the whole school is reused to HE ana energy ny sing
ing lively piece of music aud II II has an accompa-
unent of physical exercises or series ~ eVo utions
| of body and limbs, SO much more tnectnai ana A.
,racllve 1t is an excellent means OF promoting good
! feeling and good order, and shou d be encou aged
These Innovations as they nre sometimes styled, up
| on the old methods and customs, do not, however,
meet with any very cordial endorsement nom district
| officers and parents, but are ssmply tolerated IS
| harmless amuse pents requiring but ! TIE time.
Although Ia. law desgnates four years as the age
| which entities child TO school privileges public
opinion is establishing six years the proper age for
child TO commence school life. Notwithstanding
The increase in population and larger per csnage OF
attendance the number under sin years who have
aendedcd the past year Isles than that OF pressed
ng years 1t is the universal testimony OF those best
qualified to judge, that there is seldom any sdysn-
! tage gained in progress Of learning by sending a
child to school under SIX years OF age but often ser-
Gus disadvantages. physically aud mentally. Almost
ceaseless activity during waking houts 10 the condi-
ton of child under that age Nature requires FOR
| the growth aud development of the body, and Is
seems unnatural and cruel 10 subject sucha child to
the necessary restraints of school room besides It
imposes extra and useless Task upon the teacher,
/ IL IL. =. -l.l IL, tnl In IL