Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-02-13
Our Common schools.



In previous communication | called
attention to certain facts relative TO the
lack of instruction in our common schools.
The facts are not only unchalIenged, but
disgraceful to our school management. j
charged the omission to the inef1ciency
of our boards of examiners.
referred to the State Commissioners
report of the questions put to the candi-
dates for teachers certificates in the sew
eral counties of the estate, and Character
ized them as being too technical, occa-
sionally trivial, and by implication claim
ed that the mere ability to answer corr
rectly certain per centage of. such ques-
tions was not sufficient evidence of the
qualification as teacher. Let us look at a
few questions, submitted at the Teachers
Examinations by the Highland county
Board of Examiners, examination exer-
eises J AN. 4th, 1879.
GRAMMAR,
1. Illustrate by example the method of
distinguishing. sex.
3. Decline sus,' hers, Sit, him, and
boys GEOGRAPHY.
2. Describe the seasons of the tOrrid
zone, and tell what season is prevailing
there now.
4. Where is Cumberland Gap, and what
three States corner there.-Neaes, Jan g..
What are We to think, or what would
the apologist of our County Board think
ofthese questions as test; of candidates
qualifications in these branches? Or does
he think that these examiners were, like
himself, call in fun ?'' will not be so
uncharitable as to harbor the suspicion.
But, to save him any modification. in the
future, will just whisper in his ear, and
theirs, that there is no sex in grammar.
Words have gender, but no sex. GA word
to the wise is sufficient y
One of these questions in geography is
misleading and contradictory. The other
is simply question of memory. Surely
a variety of questions could be put, the
replies to which would more clearly in
dicate the candidates knowledge of the
principles involved and his ability to ap-
ply them to the business of life. Let the
same care and methods be employed by
our County Examiners, to ascertain quail
iflcations and competency, that is resorted
toby prudent business men in all branches
of industry and incompetent teachers
will gradually vanish.
What farmer, possessed of common
sense, would employ and depend on a
stranger to raise a crop of corn for him,
without any other guaranty than that=he
was of good moral character, and able to
answer a few questions about farming.
He would require more satisfactory proof
of competency; either the testimony of
previous employers or actual observation
or both. Is the employment of the teach
ers of our children of less importance? !?
But county examiners frequently certify
to a PERSONS competency as teacher who
| is an. entire stranger to them, and they
utterly ignore the better and more relia-
BILE information to be obtained by seeing
them at work, even for one hour, in
charge of class or school. It is provok-
ingly ludierous to witness the placid cons
tentment of our Examiners according to
their apologist) as they review their Ia
bors in this agricultural district of late
years. To our complaints that SO per cent.
of our children leave school utterly ig-
norant of the common rules of land meas
,urement, and the common language of
their country in relation thereto, and that
half the teachers are generally at fault
and unacquainted with the simpler forms
of bookkeeping, they reply that COM
plants are often made that they put the
per centage and examinations too high.
I have heard that they sometimes run the
questions in geography up into astrono-
my. A little like the preacher who
was 1ecturing an urchin on the roadside
about God, heaven, etc., and when he
came to crossroads said: 'tSonny, can
you tell me which of these roads leads tt
Bolton ?'' The boy naively replied: "It
is very strange you know so much about
God and the stars, away up there, and
don't know the way to Bolton!"
The time allotted for the education o
the children of the poor is short; henc'
the necessity of utilizing the means ant
the time at our disposal, to furnish then
the information likely to be of the mos
practical value to them. The great ma
| jority of our children ought to be taught
first and foremost, that which is mos
likely to enable them to earn the means o
comfortable subsistence; without whiel
all else is, comparatively, worthless.
Lately, was in conversation with
: young man 1s years of age, a pupil of on
of our High Schools in Ohio. I showe'
him the field notes of small survey. H
did not understand them. He was nc
aware of any one in the school being in
structed in such matters, unless it was i
the surveying class. was given to un
derstand that a similar state of things ha
existed in our Washington schools.
A short time ago. put the followin
Iquestion to company of intelligent cit
= zens of another county, among them
surveyor: els it of any practical utilit
to teach the children of farmers to rea
' and understand the field notes of lands
draw accurate plats and compute th
areas of the same?'' The unanimous re
spouse was, "Of course it fs-of incalcu
liable value.'' And the surveyor said
'FIt is fact, that in our county not or
l' farmer in hundred understands an,
thing about it.
A few days ago one of our most prom
nent citizens in this county remarked
me in conversation: SIT is astonishin,
when we come to examine closely, no
i, deficient in practical value is the inform
= tion impaired to our children at the pu
lie schools" That is general and gro,
ing sentiment. But, on the other han
it appears that some of our county g
aminers, and their apologists, are satisfi
to sit down in the breeches of the pas
and simply remind you, like the buffo
in the play, that there are a great ma