, 1879-08-13


4 writer In TnR TRIBUNE reoontly urged
that tho persona who aro known as " cadet
tonchora" in tho public schools slfould ba
ratd for thoir services. Who are theso
cadets? II wa understand the business, all
graduatos Of tho normal class ate entitled to
certiilcatos of qualification ~ teaoher, and
all other persons whose examination fur
nishos evidence Of propor qualification arc
also given certificate Of like character.
The persons who have theso certificates
greatly outnumbor the vacancies in tho list
Of teachers, but they arc ali presumably
applicants for appointment. Tho practice
has bocn, We boliove, tor yoars that wheu-
ever toaoher was too III to attend, or was
for any cause compelled TO DO absont from
her school, to notify tho Superintendent,
who assigned ono of these applicants to
servo in place of tho absent teachsr, tho
servioo covering ono, two. or thrco
Days, or porhaps week. This sory-
ice waa sought by tho candidates. It
gave them experience, and possibly, IT their
service waa commandable, it might ba an adj
ditional reason for thoir appointment. por-
hepa this employment Of thoae candidates
has been enlarged, for tho writer speaks OF
them rs employed for months ut timo, aud
indicatea that they arc q numerous body.
How arc they employotl2 Ara they sont ont
to tho varioua schools to assist the tenoharB
Arc thoy allowed to serve month nftor month,
relieving tho paid teachors, doing their work,
keeping thoir records, md generally per-
forming tho duty belonging to teaohers
Tho schools arc ut nll times suporiutondod ia
excess. Tho cost Of Ruperintendonco has
nlways boon n griovons ono. Tho police
foroe for the government Of o1lildron, nine-
tentha Of whom are not moro advanced than
m ability to road the simplest lesson, has al
ways been numerous and costly. IL 1t pos
siblo that, in addition to this, thoro is
auothcr largo force now employed 10 do tho
toaching for the toaohors, the teaohora be-
coming superintendent Of tho cadets?
Another correspondent points ont that, Of
this army Of cadets serving in the schools,
there is list nado out at headquarters from
which list appointments ara mRdo, but this
list is net made up Of those who have shown
proficiency aud qualification, and had
long md faithful service; but tht.t 1t re-
quires =" influence to have a namo put on
such liats, ono lady owing hor place on tho
list to an application signed by no less than
nineteen Aldermen, The number IN Big-
niacant. II tho selections for appointments
aro mado, as atatod, through political, social,
or other influence, aud not because Of my
tltnoss md capacity shown while serving ns
cadet, then those who ars thus serving a.
cadets arc victims Of fraud. Ono cor
respondent urges TINT thcso cadots bo paid
for their aarvices; tho other obieots. Uu-
less tho services at cadets "a assistants aro
necessary to enable tho tenchers to perform
thoir duty, then they should not ba paid !;
il the Cadets nre nble to perform tho work
Of tho toacl,ora without assistants, thon it
would ho economy to employ thom in place
of tho tonohers. That is all that Ia necessary
to be said on TINT point. If It be true tl,at
teaohera owe their appointment to political
and sooial influences md not to qualiaoa-
tions, thon tho abuse Ia disgracsful to tho
DQard Of Eduoation which, permits 1t.