The daily gazette., 1881-08-25
The Delaware state Teacherg Asso,
citation.

REHoBoTH, DEL, August 24.-The'
"Fourth Profession" occupied the stten-
ton of the Teachers' Association this
morning, the subject having been intro.
duced by paper read by SD. Wiley,
Principal Of the Wilmington High
School. 1t was . plea for the elevation
of the teachers vocation to q profession
and be thought 1t could be done In this
wise. Let an association be formed Of
| superintendents and teachers of recOg-
nized ability, and clothe 1t with charter
rights and authority to enforce these
rules.
First. No teacher shall engage In
teaching in any school In the State with
out diploma granted by this Associa-
ton.
Second. Any teacher may become .
member OF the Association who has
taught three years, and who holds Q
diploma from some reputable college or
institution Of learning. All others must
be teachers of five years standing, and
they must submit to an additional ex-
animation at entrance.
Third. No teacher In the employ Of
the State to be removed, except when
cause, after due hearing of the case.
The three professions of Law, Theolo.
gy and Medicine, said Mr.. Wiley, are
protected by legal enactment and 'strin-
gent rules, made IN pursuance thereof.
Then why not thus protect the teach
ers and uplift them to the fourth pro-
fessiona BY raising the standard OF
qualification, the number of teachers
would be decreased and their pay and
position correspondingly inereasedf
The paper gave rise to long discus
sion. Rev. Mr.. Williams thought if
teaching 10 TO be erected into a profes
sion 1t must be protected as other pro.
fessions are, and Rev. Mr.. Skinner be-
lieved the suggestions In the paper
were on the right line, but did moi
know whether this was the right time tG
agitate them. Professor Reed did poi
believe that teaching could be made .
profession by law, but that individual
teachers might place themselves upon
the professional plane by proving by
! their work that they deserve the dis
, tinction.
, President Reynolds favored Mr.
: Willey's proposition, as more super
, vision was necessary. Some time ago
. he examined q man Who for fifteeI
| yOnib hoa pCOu hcuuOl bCoohoA "a
3 Delaware, and that man could no
bound Pennsylvania or do a simpl'
, sum in fractions.
Superintendent Harlan claimed tina
no Legislature could empower a cor
poration. as Mr.. Wiley proposed t,
refuse any peraon the right to teacl
children, provided such teacher wa
employed by the parents Of the chill
!. dren.
= President Purnell agreed to this, an
> said the Legislature never WOULD an
! had no right to delegate TO any sell
i appointed association the powers SUI
4 gested.
o The True Sphere of the Publ
!. School by Avery D. Harrington wa
i, the subject of the paper presented thi
t afternoon. He traced the history {
+ public schools from their inception
% Athens until the present, and sal
/. they were generally divided into thre
its incapabllity or inability, anoth'
). because ii 10 unsuited to the wants
: the people, while the third succeed
NJ because its curriculum Is adapted
|" the peculiar wants Of the populac
II their condition habits, and circun
M sMr stances. He quoted fro m several re
" ords to prove this,
In discussing the paper, Mr.. Carpe
ter said, the need of PUBLIC schoo
90 everywhere as good as private school
O. where all could be educated in bo
ng the common or higher branches, "
er apparent, while Superintendent Ha
" Ian maintained that the sphere of 3
public schools in the country W
widely different from that Of the cit
Mr.. Reynolds did not believe in givil
In. a Ave. cent man fiye-thousand doll
We education, and said that where this
re done time and money are throw
ay away.
ny Tonight there was another litera
-, entertainment and lecture by Re
ks A. W. Lightbourn, oil Milton, on t
he principles and p,lis q IN omm
,ty education. The members Of the De
ne ware Legislature arrived late to-nig
OF on special train, and will hold tn
Ss sa reunion here. They spent last night
. Chincoteague. Va, and have visit
several points on the lower penins'
to-day. They will probably retu
home tomorrow.