The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-11-30
nEEDED

legislative assembly. As Montana has grown
too large for some of the laws that were cut
out for it several years ago, it will be found
necessary to modify or amplify afew of them
to suit its present and future needs. Its con,
stantly expanding proportions in the building
ND of new industries and new interests, give
birth to a want for legislative enactments
that will harmonic and direct its energies
In the list of needful laws are those that will
present to the eastern man who desire te
build up. for himself a home in our western
country, inducements in the way of educa.
tional advantages for his children. With
many of the most desirable class of immi.
grants, soil and climate are not the first con.
sideration that prompts them to settle in a
new country. They inquire after and look
into thepreans a new country possesses fol
educating its youth, and, as a rule, their steps
are bent towards that location that offers the
greatest advantages in this direction. We do
not know that Montana is behind her sister
territories in the opportunities she affords in
an educational point of view, but we believe
that a great improvement may be made Units
present school system. 1t is a defect or want
in this system We propose briefly to notice at
the present time.
Mr.. W. EgbertS Smith, territorial superinten-
dent, has just issued a circular calling a meet
ing of teachers and others interested in educa-
tionalmatters, to be held at Helena, on the 4th
of January next. We believe that one of the
objects OF the proposed meeting is to suggest
to the incomming legislative assembly,
amendments to, or notifications of the pres
ent school laws. Every county school super
intendent, every teacher who takes a pride IN
his profession and every one who is interest
ed in the cause of education should, if posi-
BILE, attend this convention. We think that
a careful looking over of the field will con-
vince its members that there are, at
least, two things which we wan to
correct as evils growing QUO Of careless
or faulty legislation. One is that a
uniform system for the examination
Of applicants for teachers certificates should
is really no system. The school superintend-
ent is compelled to examine applicants in
certain studies, but the time and manner of
the examination are frequently determined
by the convenience of the parties concerned.
Some superintendent require verbal answers
to verbal questions, while others submit
written questions that require written
One will issue a certificate to an applicant
after a few simple questions have been asked
and answered another will occupy two or
three days in an examination. Each certifi-
cate issued holds good for two years. Itmat-
tiers not how lsng the holder of a first grade
certificate may have labored to qualify him.
self to obtain it, he is virtually placed upon
the same footing with the one who has Just
laid aside his axe or his OK whip and by dint
OF a few days examining, or through the in
diligence of a good-natured and not over-ex-
acting superintendent, managed to get a third
grade one. Thus armed, our newly-fledged
.pedagogue enters the annual contest for q
school, and usually obtains one for the reason
that he will work for less wages than the
qualified teacher. This is all wrong and
should be remedied. Any plan by which a
territorial board of education may be formed,
whose duty it shall be first, to prepare quar-
terly a Common series Of questions in every
branch authorized to be taught in our CON-
mon schools should be adopted, these cues
lions to be used by each county superintend-
ent in the examination Of applicants for GER
tifcates. Certificates may then issue to hold
good for one, two, or three years, according
to the grade thereof. The board Of educa-
ton should also have power to examine and
grant certificates to hold good for a term of
years, the holder thereof being held qualified
to teach in any county in the territory it'll
out an examination by county superintend-
ents. Second, the board should be author
lied to prescribe a uniform series of text
books for use in our common schools. There
is just cause for complaint against our present
IN regard to the frequent changes
made by teachers in our text books. Parents
are put to a great deal of unnecessary expense
in the purchase Of new school books for their
children when they move from one place or
district to another. The pockets of patrons
and the text books of a school are now virtu-
ally at the mercy or the within of our s~trolling
teachers. They cast aside books in present
use and introduce new ones with the regu-
larity of the seasons. A uniform series
would be a great saving of money to the
parents of Montana.
Another thing that should command the
attention Of our educators is a reform in the
present manner of electing school superin-
tendents. Three counties-Deer Lodge,
Madison and Lewis and Clarke-elect coun-
ty school superintendent to an Office not
all of the other counties the Office is held by
their treasurers. This pooling of the Office
with another is a mistake that calls for cor