Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-08-09
SChOOllflarnls.

SchOOlmarnS is noun because 1t is
a name. Common, because it is gen.
eral name. 1t is common gender, in
Guiding both males and females. Third
person.: they are much talked about.
1t is plural in number, because they
are legion. In the nominative case,
because they are self-assertive, and
agree with drawing good wages and
doing nothing to benefit schools.
, The experience and observation OF
almost fifty years have enabled me to
arrange those Scribes and Pharisees
that sit in Moses seat in the school
rooms of the country into three classes.
These are schoolmasters who depend
on physical force and whip, but do not
teach; schoolmarms who as rule nei-
ther whip nor teach; and school teach
ers whose objective point is to teach
their scholars to think-that Is, to col
late facts and draw other facts as
conclusions from them, and to do
this work Independently, correctly and
promptly, and whose government of a
school only removes the drawbacks to
learning.
A schoolmaster may become school
teacher. because as rule that class
has pluck and energy, and only needs
Knowledge. But have never seen a
schoolmarm-either male or female
that crystallized into school teacher.
Their normal status is imbecility, and
for them the common school system
was o godsend, as it enabled them to
quarter themselves on the public with
out directly going to the poor-house.
The prevalence of this class is an un-
erring test Of the decadence of the COM
mon school system in any State. The
experience of the State of Missouri has
been no exception to this rule. The
law required candidate for the posi-
ton of teacher in a school to have a
certificate from the School Commits
sioner of the proper county, which
probably in three cases out Of five only
certified his ignorance. But it filled
the letter but not the spirit of the law E,
and admitted as teachers those who
were not qualified in any way. They
were at the est only negations.
Our present State Commissioner has
inaugurated reform in this particu-
lar which can be carried farther with
advantage. The United States Gov
ernment, in It's civil service rules, re-
quiros that seventy-five per cent. of
the questions asked shall be answered
correctly, and the civil service of the
State should not accept less. The list
of questions furnished to teachers is
very judicious. There has evidently
been a great improvement at head
quarters, and there is room for more.
The application for school is orinao
fucie evidence that the candidate wants
the position, and the examination is re-
sorted to in order to ascertain how
much the position wants the appli-
can't. The school law makes the Su-
perintendent of Public Schools, the
the Secretary of State and
Attorney-General Board of Educa-
ton to supervise the instruction in
public schools, and the regulations
prescribed by that Board have all the
force of law; so that if by collision or
any other influence a disqualified per-
son Is introduced into a school, any
patron of the school can enjoin the
County Treasurer and prevent the
oavment OF a warrant until the facts
are ascertained. All parties interested
can rest assured that the common
school system of Missouri is able to
protect itself, and under the admin
stration>of our present State Commits
,ioner shows a willingness to do so.
There is no fear of any lack OF quail
fed teachers for oil the schools if the
are ruled out. There are