Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-10-03


1t. II ii claimed iIat certain persons
received credits on branches not mem
toned In The examination and the idea
is conveyed that such credits were used
10 put up the geneFal average and 50 in
crease the grade Of these persons. /
think state fairly this allegation and
is consequent The allegation Is true,
bat the conclusion drawn from Il - not
50. endeavSged TO explain this mat
ter on Saturday week last, and thought
I had made my position plain. I'll Try
10 do SO now. There are ten branches,
inclpding photography, On which appIi-
cSnts for lst Grade Certificates are exam
insd, and all candidates are examined on
these alike. The sum of all the possible
credits On each particular branch Is ar
ways 100except in spelling which unite
with style, or mode ofexpression, TO make
up The 100. The various questions are
valued according TO the difficulty in
VOWED in the answers. The papers Of
the candidates are carefully examined,
and each candidate is credsted with such
vaIue to each answer Is seems TO me
Just, making due allowance for the haste
and confusion necessarily attending q
public examination. Adding up the
total values or credits thus obtained, i
DIVIDE BY 10, which gives the general
average, on which, and 0a srAieh alone,
nv Recommendation is based. When
the certificate il finally ordered (after
examination By the Board) ] allow h
its face the exact credits on the various
branches examined on, except spelling.
on which, allow the full credit-fnrth-
er sometimes allow credits on branches
not examined on-buf these credits hare
absolutely nothing to do rith the grade.
For instance, ! may know one to be q
good classical scholar. | would not
hesitate, in such case, TO note the TACT
on the certificate. That might act as
an additional recommendation TO the To-
cal trustees or patrons, but would not
In any way affect the grade.
While on this subject, viii add that
the exa patton papers Of candidates are
examined, as rule, with the utmost
care by the members Of the Board be-
fore taking final action on them, so that
if any partiality or uniairness il at
tempted ii must be participated in by the
four gentlemen composing the Board
a supposition which, to the average
mind, would involve, to say the least,
very great improbabilIty.
ID. II is claimed that certain teachers
"who left Mr.. Tippett's examination in
despair" are now holding 1st grade GER
tifcates while another person who
states that be has been student for six
years, has been turned down. What
IS intended by this charge do not ex-
actly see. but as 1t seems TO be in .aae
nature of a charge, / mcaiion it for
what il is worth. Il will not be out OF
place TO give here the names of those
TO whom | have granted 1st Grade GER
ti6cates- They are j. ]. Langley, Thos.
b. Cough. A. A. Drury. Chas. +. Nor
ris, Jesse Turner, Jn0. A. Scott and
Geo. M. Thomas. Those who know
these gentlemen can scarcely find
fault with an examiner who has recog-
nized their merits in an educational
point Of view. They may not be skilled
as instructors or Importers of knowl-
edge. On that point the Trustees and
| patrons must IN the nam decIue--put
as 10 the matters Of education and men,
tai force, there can be no question in
the case of any one of them. / trust
the gentlemen named viii pardon my
mention OF them--but as kind of slur Il
seems 10 me was sought to be cast on
my LIST Grade appointments i had no
other defence than to do as have done.
3rd. II is charged that some one is
holding 1st Grade certificate while a
class-mate of his is cut down. Now
this charge is terrible, and am afraid
II is true; for il is gravely stated and there
must be good foundation for it. That
any Examiner should be found so der
elicit as to grant LIST Grade certificate
70 any one and refuse il to his class
mates is appalling evidence of the rot
tenness Of the entire school system. ]
fear am guilty and must throw my
self upon the mercy Of my Judges
Overcome with The gravity OF thls adj
mission and fearful Of firing the public
with too lengthy a communication ]
will defer until another day, examination
of other complaints.
Respectfully,
GEO. THOMAS.