The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-05-11

"oo hOe uhiACi"iiy puS' oohS N's
tricts in the southern part of this
county had excellent Township SUI
perintendents and the schools were
correspondingly excellent. But un-
fortunately there were not enough of
these efficient Superintendent to
save the system, and tie present sys-
tenn is now upon trial. One of the
most important functions of the
Board is the examination of teachers.
1t is very fair to presume that per-
son cannot teach what he does not
know. Now, any set of questions
prepared by competent authority
presents fair average of what a per-
son should know. Nor is it demand
ed that every question should be an
swered. The legal requirement then
is fair average Of answers to fair
average of questions. A fair capital
to begin with in the material in which
one is TO deal is as necessary in
teaching as in anything else. But
as in business, capital is not the only
requisite to success, SO in teaching,
knowledge without TACT is useless.
The Board of Examiners tests the
one quality, the schoolroom the 9TH
er. Now how proper a thing it is
(when these qualities are combined),
that they should be literally rewarded.
Really expert teachers are not numer-
Gus, and the scarcity is not artificial
ly produced by any Board of Exam
liners. A term of four months each
year taught by person of unusual
ability is worth more than eight
months kept by the inferior teachers
who are so common. Under the in
fuence of incompetent teachers,
children acquire habits of shiftless-
ness which last them lifetime.
Shiawassee county is rapidly COM
ing into prominence for the fine quail
ity Of its horses. We are likely to
become as famous as the blue grass
region of Kentucky. Mr.. Dewey,
in selecting men to train his horses,
does not take the cheapest men he
can get. Mr.. Johnson, of Chicago,
who was selected to handle Jerome
Eddy this season, was a man famous
for his ability in that direction.
Should not Shiawassee county take
as much care in rearing its men and
women as in the care of its horses.
Years hence will it NOT be as much n
source Of pleasure to the residents of
Rush or New Haven to rear a Gov
ernor a Senator or a famous farm
manager, as two year old colt which
takes the stakes at the State Fair?
Three fifths of ali the people of
the state live in the country, and
more than three-hfths of the children
are educated there. 1t must appear
then that the country school has a
much more important work than the
graded school or the University
The country is much the most favor
able place for the education of child
rem, for natural means of illustrating
nature are right at hand. How pro :
voking it is when all these favorable
conditions exist, to place shipper
ing girl of IA or IS with no apprecia-
ton of her surroundings, in charge of
one of these schools for no other rea-
son than that her services are worth
so little that she asks but very little
for them.
"God made the country and man
made the town" is the saying of one
of the famous English poets. A city
teacher finds the greatest difficulty in
making pupils understand the finest
selections of the readers. Children
fifteen years old have never seen a
pig, nor an apple on a tree, nor bee,
nor have they any idea how these
things grow. Wordsworth's "Fall
ing leaves" is not appreciated be-
cause the great majority never saw
any leaves fall.
The good work of the County
Board should be encouraged by every
good citizen. ca