The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-02-12
AMENDMENTS TO THE SCHOOL
LAW.
LOGAN. February 9. 1880.

: LOGAN, February 9. 1880.
: Editors Herald:
: The Legislature will, no doubt
soon adopt the school Law as revised
, at Salt Lake; and if any further i'm
provement can be made We oonside
it quite in order. The old Law re-
quires the appointment, by tht
County Court, of a hoard OF exsmi-
natiou," but fails to provide any
means for their payment, and they
have been obliged to charge lee for
each certificate issued. In cases
where the examinations were not
very satisfactory, and certificates
given for one year only, it has ben
charged that the board did this only
for the purpose Of securing the fee.
That suoh a charge is false does not
relieve it of the opprobrium. Were
the facts studied, it would soon be
found that here (Cacne County, at
least, the examiners are not very
much oYsI-paid. The fee for a CERT
ficAte ia $3.50. 1t generally takes
from half to one day for the candi-
date t. answer the questions, and an
hour or two to examine the papers.
In many cases applicants have staid
over one or two nights, and never
think of the additional trouble and
expense 1t seems strange that when
the county appoints men ID such an
Office, and expects them to work for
the public good, it leaves them at
the mercy OF q few (some of whom
have not means to spsre) for COM
pensation. Very often persons are
examined, whose qualifications are
not ample enough TO secure celtifi-
cate. It takes just as much time
with such as those who pass, and
then the board loses their time, as
they dare make no charge without
issuing certificate. II it were pro-
Vided that the county meet ell ex-
penses. the difficulties mentioned
above would be easily overcome.
A great drawback to issuing certifi.
Gates wisely, is the impossibility Of
Judging OF an applicants conduct in
school, by his answers to questions.
The Beard of Examinations is re-
quired TO examine applicants in
geography, grammar, reading. ortho-
graphy, arithmetic, theory and prac-
tice OF teaching, etc. 1t often hap
pens that person who can readily
answer all questions, is a complete
failure at work. No matter how well
be may understand the theory, his
practice is al deficient. On the
other hand, there are some, who {
cannot get a per cent. high enough to
entitle them to certificates, but who
in the school room are perfectly at (
nome, and are good teachers. The I
now allowed does not
enable the board to distinguish on '
such points. The only correct way y
% Judge OF PERSONS fitness for '
eachiug is to see his work in the {
school room. And the Board of {
Examinations should have authority {
and be required) to visit all schools /
n their district once each year. To j
10 this it would be necessary for {
ome one to defraY the expenses, and i
his might devolve upon the county 6
gain. 4
People sending children to school {
,ften complain that the beard did 6
wrong in issuing certificates to the {
persons teaching, and hold them re- {
ponsible for errors in work. It is
obvious that something should be
lone TO enable those having authority,
o be more exacting in the require ,
nents for the position OF instructors.
Should it not be deemed exPedieut to
,ntruEt that power with the EIamin-
ng Board, it should be placed else c
where. Our educational affairs ere
Evorably but are far
rom what thsy should be. Con.
,erted action on the part of parents,
officers and teachers, must be en-.
as their combined judy
nent will most nearly approach
Such measures cannot
70 enforced by law; but those that
ire enacted should be fulfilled as
iS0IIy az pOesio-o' LUIS CeuuOt oe
n an impecunious way, and people t
must be taught that the qualifications 7
or good teachers ard officers are /
uch as to command liberal pay. 8
1t is with no wish to be presumpt- ,
lous we write this, but only to /
present a few objections that have I
1een met in Cache Comfy. Our {
briefly stated are: Il
THAT the counties be required !
% pay all expenses OF the Board of
II.-That some member OF the
Board of Examination be required to
visit all schools in the county once
each year.
Respectfully,
JOHN T. GAME, JR.