The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-01-08
STATE CERTIFICATES

STATE CERIlElJAlES
At the state teachers. association re-
port was made by special committee on
teachers state certificates in which ex-
ception was taken to making diplomas
OF the state university and of normal
schools, state certificates when the hold
er has taught certain number OF terms.
A diploma is not always a guaranty OF
scholarship. Graduates of normal schools
have been examined in this county who
barely earned full third grade certificates
and if our memory serves Us Alright there
were one or two whose ambition was
satisfied with f'license to teach IN
particular town for limited time.
The following year there poor teachers
and Indifferent scholars were placed be-
yond the petty annoyance OF further ex-
aminations by having their diplomas
countersigned by the state superintend
ent thus placing them on level with the
best teachers OF the state. In this coun-
ty diploma is taken as prima facie ev
idencc of worthlessness, if the possessor
is inclined to display it and the holder
has to overcome q well grounded preIu
dice by the exhibition of intellectual
strength. 4 full third grade certificate
issued by a superintendent of known
ability and integrity has more weight
here than quasi state certificate obtain
ed through graduation. A graduate OF
one of the colleges Of the state who
taught IN this county few years ago
and who never failed to affix the emblem
Of his intellectual knighthood to his
name, was SO severely mauled at teach
ers' meetings by youths in years and in
knowlt dge that finally pity secured him
what his prowess never could,-immuni-
t.. This system of making diplomas
state certificates is an outrage on the
profession, an injustice to those whose
ability entities them to these evidences
of qualification. and an unwise partiality
to those swho can secure through legal
enactment what they could never reach
through examinations. 1t may be urged
that examinations in normal yhools and
Ill the university are as thorough as
those by a state board. But there is
this difference and it is a very significant
one: The examinations are conducted
by persons under whom the examinee
has received instruction, and the ques-
tons submitted are those that have come
up frequently in recitation. Besides the
examinations extend throug a period of
years. A wise step for the coming legis-
hture would be to DO away with this
law, of giving diplomas the effect and
value of state certificates. If the gradu-
ate can earn o state certificate fairly, he
will be subjected to no Inconvenience
aside from few days hard work which
will not prove injurious. If he is not
entitled to it through lack of scholastic
ability, the law should not stand for him
in lieu of brains.
The tendency is, in the regular state
examination, to reduce the number OF
subjects and particularly to exclude these
that are most difficult In the regular
subjects within the last few years, gen
eral history has been substituted for
chemistry. As fixed at present, most of
the branches required for a state certif-
cate which are not included in the sub
jects in which applicants are examined
tor a first grade county certificate, are
tests Of the strength of the memory.
There are few persons who in the study
of zoology exercise any faculty of the
mind except the memory. \ tolerable
examination may be passed IN botany
and i'll geology without any practical
knowledge of the subjects. But chemis-
try with all its formulaes and analyses
requires something more of the person
who seeks to ''pass'' than lot of mem
orizod definitions. Besides teacher of
philosophy, physiology, botany and ge
ology must have knowledge of chemis
try or his teaching is a farce. Any other
subject could have been struck off with
less danger to the value of the examina-
ton. Another error is the elementary
character of the algebra and geometry in
which applicants are examined. \ state
certificate so far rs the subjects coincide
with those required for first grade coun
ty certificate, are not rs good evidence of
proficiency in these branches as first
grade certificate in this county. But
Wisconsin is not the worst state in this
respect We have lately seen a set OF
questions used in Illinois, III which were
ten in astronomy, One naturally looks
to astronomy with respect when it is
known that knowledge of it involves
proficiency in the higher mathematics.
But so carefully were these questions
prepared that not even a knowledge of
plane trigonometry was required to Sc
ere standing Of one hundred. Indeed
a little knowledge of mathematical geog
raphy, popularity so called, was all that
was needed to go through the 'astrono
my paper" swimmingly.
THE Annual Review of the Appleton
Post took the place of the regular publ
n,tiop IN Thursday last The Review Is