Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-03-23
Tho Need Of Competent Teachers.
To the Editor of the Bulletin:

To the Editor Of the Bulletin:
An examination of the answers gwen
to the questions used by our County
Superintendent ut the examination, Feb.
oath, rs published in your paper of the
10th inst, ought to convince every person
that those applying for positions as teach
ers in our public schools, do not possess
sufficient qualifications to teach. That
We ought to offer in this county better
facilities for those desiring t. teach to
qualify themselves for that work, ought
not TO he questioned.
Out of fifty four applicants, that only
twenty-one should be entitled to certiti
Gates, seems to be II proportion Of failures
that calls for some remedy. How shall
this state of things be changedy At our
County School Convention, some of the
most experienced officers said that in
creasing the wages did not bring increas-
ed qualifications. Our County Superin-
tendent reported that it was difficult to
procure IL sufficient number of quail fled
teachers to fill the demand in the county
1t has been reported by the two incum
bents of that office who Immediately pre-.
coded the present, that they found the
same difficulty during their respective
terms. The number of applicants for
Positions AS teachers, shows that there
are II sufficient number of persons in the
county who desire to teach school, to sup
ply their demand. The only lack then,
is the requisite qualifications.
If II pupil should he taught by some of
fhnSp riu in, In
report above referred to, could such pu.
pill under such teachers, ever gain suffi,
cient learning to cradle him to pass Fat
isfactOry eXaiIlin .ti0n?
In the examination in arithmetic, thirty
five failed to answer the third question !;
thirty-sixth the seventh, and twenty eight
the eighth, besides the failures ON the
other examples.
Then examine again the failures in the
examination in grammar. Examples are
given OF what nine of these applicants
wrote, when asked to write simple SEN
tence containing noun, verb, and Il
pariiciple. Also what twelve wrote who
were asking for places either MS teachers
or clerks. All our school officers, and in
fact every one who is interested In the etfi-
cheney of our common schools, ought to
examine this report particularly, and to
make use of the same for the purpose of
aScertaining whether the children, for
whose schooling they have to pay. are
receiving any better instruction than this
report indicates. Let us next look ut the
examination in geography. Our Super
intendent has given us the answers to but
nsN ,l.,x.. Ill
mate than to geography proper. But it
is subject on which every teacher ought
to be informed
But Il greater lack of information is
shown in the answers to questions in his
tory. We all have love of our country
We all ought to be proud of its history.
hut who could be proud of such knowl-
edge as is displayed by those answers
The Superintendent informs us that he
has given us but small part OF the errors
committed in this examination. What
lie has given us. ought to awaken parents
who have children to attend school. to
the great necessity that exists for more
competent teachers We cannot have
our schools conducted successfully I'M
less We have teachers that are qualified
Teachers cannot acquire the necessary
qualification unless they have some facli-
ty for SO doing
Then, if we would have good schools,
We must have qualified teachers To
have qualified teachers. we must have
schools where those that desire to teach,
may attend and receive the necessary in
structiOn.
This has been found necessary in every
State and in every county. The profes-
sion of teaching, employs more persons
than those in all the other learned prOfes-
siOns combined in this State; In other
words, there are more persons in Iowa
who gain livelihood by teaching school,
than by preaching. practicing medicine
and law, all taken together.
see by looking over the last State
census report, that the number of teach
ers employed in this State, was about
eighteen thousand in 1874 This shows
that the Occup ltion of teaching, gives
employment to very large number of
persons. The number emplo led in pri-
vate schools. Academies, State Universe
~, and State Agricultural College, is
less than one thousand. The seventeen
thousand are en- loyed in teaching our
common schools. They are paid by =
tax OH the property of the State. Every
tax payer, Us we'll as every person who
has children to attend school, has the
right 10 demand, and ought to demand,
that this body of teachers shall possess suf
ticient knowledge to enable them to teach
correctly, arithmetic, grammar, geogra-
ply, history, and spelling. The examin.
alton referred to, however, demonstrates
that large percentage, more than one
half, that apply, do not possess these
qualifications, Then what is the RENE
dy? To what expedients shall VIC resort
in order to have them SO qualified? Now
do not know the name of single per
son who was at that examination. !
have not had any conversation with Mr..
Parker, or any one else about the matter.
know Of it only as it is published. SO
that all who will, may read. But l will
venture to say, that nine out of every ten,
of those who failed to get certificates. are
sons and daughters of tax payers in this
county: further that fifty of the fifty
four who applied, are children of persons
who pay taxes here; and still further.
that fifty of them have younger brothers
and sisters, who are to receive the rudi.
ments of their education in our common
schools.
So We cannot, if we would, shirk this
responsibility. If we pay good wages to
teachers. it is employing our own fami
lies to do the work, and the pay comes
back to US in the shape of wages to our
own sons and daughters. Under these
circumstances, we cannot allow our chill
drcn to grow up in ignorance. nor can
We afford to employ teacher. to teach
them, who are more likely to teach them
error tlIan truth For these reasons we
ought to furnish in our county school
where our children could be trained AS
teachers, and where the training would he
such that when IL person WAS certified by
the teachers of that school. TO he qualiti
ed to teach, we should all feel confident
that such statement was true
BY united effort in this county,
such school could he had. 1t only re-
quires that our taxpayers shall demand
it, The whole matter is under their con
troll. They can order it, and can elect
these who will control it, and can every
year have voice in Its management.
If we had such school, think it
would he but Il few years before the re-
port of our County Superintendent would
he greatly changed We should not see
any more statements like that rnbli shed