Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-06-07
THE SCHOOL QUESTION.

h1ASANN-AAN-.-N
mar School. In consenting to an investiga-
ton of the case, however, it is to be re-
qretted that the Board did not begin by
laying down plan of operation, for the
spirit manifested at the meeting was in
many respects unfavorable to disposition
ate inquiry, there being far too much per-
sonal feeling exhibited, and also far too
much loose and illogical talking. In the
course of the evening specific charge of
incompetency was preferred against Mr..
Mcdonald by the mother of one of his
pupils, and upon this the Board has decid- |
ed to proceed, though even now there does
not appear to be any definite idea of what
is to be effected, or how it is to be effected.
1t is necessary to point out that such
charge as Mrs. Foster has preferred against
the Principal of the Sacramento Grammar
School involves a far broader inquiry than
appears to be believed. The presumption
that because child fails in two successive
examinations, therefore the teacher is in
competent, is not Internationally allowa-
ble In such a case there are two equally |
important points to be ascertained. The one
is the competency of the teacher; the
other is the capacity of the scholar. In
case involving the whole future of a teacher
who has held a high position in our educa-
tional department for ten or eleven years,
it is necessary that strict justice should be
done. There must be no jumping to con-
illusions, no false syllogisms, no yielding to !
impulse, no concessions to prejudice. |
Those who undertake to arraign the
teacher must be prepared to show that the
cause of the failure does not consist in the
defective receptivity of the taught. 1t
viii not do to beg the question by taking
it for granted that all children are equally |
capable of learning the same things. |
Every educator knows that such position
rs untenable. Every educator has had
experience of bright scholars and dull
scholars, of bright classes and dull classes.
And though perhaps few parents are at
all disposed to admit that the fault can be
in their children, whoever brings the |
charge of incompetency against teacher
under such circumstances, is bound to /
prove that the teacher alone is culpable. |
We admit that it is very difficult to
arrive at anything like certainty in a mat
ter of this kind, because bad teaching may
easily produce results liable to be mistaken
for inherent incapacity. Perhaps the near
est approach that can be made to demon
stration will be through a comparison of
the progress made by the scholars in other
studies, with that made Ill arithmetic I'M
der Mr.. Mcdonald. If it is found that
the majority of the class have done well in
all other studies, and that those who have
done well in other studies have failed in
this one, the presumption against the COM
potency of the instructor will be very
great, for in such case it would be impos-
sible to assume the incapacity of the schol-
ars. In order to obtain thorough test of |
the question, however, it would be neces-
sary to hold fresh examination, and to |
do this with any hope of satisfactory re-
suits it should be SO arranged as to exclude |
all the High School teachers who have been
connected in any way with the controversy. |
The only practical way of effecting this
would be to procure the aid of some per-
fectly disinterested and admittedly COM
petent person, to act as Examiner, and
we know of no one more fitted for such an
Office than the Professor of Mathematics
in the University of California. Either
Professor Welcker or one of his assistant
instructors could probably be induced to
come to Sacramento by proper representa-
lions, and to him should be intrusted the
preparation of the questions and the whole
work of examination. The first grade of
the Sacramento Grammar School and the
first grade of the Capital Grammar School
should both be examined, and the public
would then have accurate data upon which
to base an opinion, and the Board of Edu-
cation would then be enabled to act intel
ligently, and for the best interests of the
schools. We do not believe that the
question can be settled better in any other
way. We are confident that it cannot
be settled by inviting charges which
in the nature OF the case cannot be sub
stantiated, and which engender all manner
of bitterness and personal hostility, and
bring into the field clique enmities and
family quarrels and championships, and a
variety of influences calculated to preju-
dice the questions in issue. We do not
know whether the parents of the scholars
of the two Grammar Schools are disposed
to submit their children to an examination
again. Probably some of them are not
If however fair proportion of each class,
say ten-would agree to this plan, the
, result would no doubt be as satisfactory as
, if the whole class had been re-examined.
, In every case of this kind there IS one
) plain and direct way Of treating the
, matter, and that is by submitting the &C.
, quirements of the children to an unbiased
investigation by a competent authority.
5 Any less direct and certain course than
r this must tend toward the commission OF
: injustice, and is liable to leave the
main question unsettled after all. There
ought t0 be no need Of excitement or Grim
nation A specific charge has been made
against teacher, and we have shown how
its truth OF falsehood may be established.
Ii Mr. Mcdonald is not competent to
teach mathematics he ought to be removed
D but he ought not to be removed until the
: fact of his incompetence is incontestably
c established, and the opinions of parents
e upon his capacity do not and cannot con-
: stitute sufficient basis for any such
s action. Let justice be done, though the
c heavens fall, but let us be quite sure that
: | we are doino iustice before we decide rnor