The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-03-03

profession they have nothing at stake ;
so the time is put in, the money lifted
and the teacher is gone, not caring q
straw whether he has advanced the in
terests of Ills employers or not. There
are some honorable exceptions to this
rule, but they are SO few that they are
unworthy of remark.
Again, we want moral teachers, men
who will take pains to impress upon the
minds of our children those principles
! which will lead them to honor and hap
| piness in this life, and also in that which
has to come.
We have, in few words, described the
kind Of teachers orr schools demand.
TO recapitulate, they require teachers
who know how to teach children; men
who have adopted teaching as IL busi-
ness and they require teachers who are
moral. We ask how is this demand,
which our sinking educational system
makes upon us, to he answered. How
are properly qualified teachers to be
obtained? We answer, by making the
profession an object worthy the aspira-
ton of talented men and women. The
profession must be exalted, so that it
will prove attractive, and this is to be
accomplished by the united exertious Of
the profession and the people. By the
profession, we mean those few respecta-
BILE, high minded and literally educated
persons who are found in our school
rooms We have some men and women
who do honor to the calling, ant, would
grace any circle but, alas, for This cause
of human liberty and happiness, We fear
that the number would scarcely be
missed from the quantity of teachers i'll
our school departments. There is ell
couragement, however, in knowing that
we have some teachers who are compe-
tent for the task and upon these much
depends to produce the effect above
written.
We may appropriately premise that
one reason why incompetent instructors
are employed is ignorance upon the part
Of the mass of whatsis requisite to con-
stitnte a competent teacher. Every pro-
fession, for its own advantage and for the
welfare Of society, should have fixed
standard by which all seeking admis-
sion ought to be tried. Teachers i'll our
State have heretofore been criminally
negligent in regard to this important
matter; take a survey of the different
professions and learn from them. The
medical profession has its standard of
qualification, and by this standard all
who wish to enter are tried. Tho legal
profession has the same, as also the theo-
logical. But the profession of which we
write, has none of its own fixing. 1t
depends for the most part upon persons
who can not distinguish decimal from
vulgar fractions to induct its members.
The only remedy for this serious evil is
the organization of teachers. And now
We ask what is to prevent such an organ
izatiou from becoming it's own guardian,
fixing it's own standard, and trying
those who desire admittance into it7
Let a committee of teachers be ap-
pointed by the Legislature to organize
State Teachers Association, and let this
Association take measures to organize
Parish Associations, with power TO admit
to membership all applicants possessed
of certain described qualifications; the
law of the State, meanwhile, directing
that no person shall be admitted as in
structor to any Public School while the
same is in whole or i'll part supported by
money received from the State, unless he
or she have i'll possession certificate
from some county or parish association.
If these associations shonld be formed,
the profession would be exalted, and un-
speakable advantage derived to our
schools. Iu order to effect this, those
who feel an interest in their profession
must put forth their energies, and if they
failin obtaining aid from the Legislature,
go at it independently by calling State
Teachers Convention.
We offer these suggestions to teachers,
knowing perfectly we'll that their adop-
tion will be fatal to large majority of
those who are now engaged as teachers,
but it would be far better for them to
fall than the cause of education. C.
A clever swindler sold 500 tickets at
81 so each, in Chicago, for all imaginary
concert to be given by an aristocr.tic