The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1883-07-18
Fren achnnia.

". Free schools.
Editor Regiter; "A gentleman
igniDg himself eGp ADDRESSED an
.rticle TO the Mason County Gam,
which was published in the last
ssue Of that paper, in which The
luthor seeks TO show the invalid
j. Of the certificates awarded by
,ur County Boardof Examiners, Of
which Prof. W. j. Kenny was the
Avery cuisury exami.
nation Of our school law by any
one Of ordinary discernment and
discrimination is sufficient to put
at rest the question raised by this
article, as to these certificates.
There can be no doubt as to the
Board Of Examiners, as a Board, to
act during their term Of Office, and
ifthey cansactin one thing, they
Gun do so inall respects. Now,
their term Of Office under the law
did not expire until June s0th,
1888, aud the certificates we're
awarded on the 9th Of the same
month. But il is said that no GEE.
tifcate Gun be awarded until the
applicant has attended an 1nsti.
tute. The object Of the Institute
law" was pussed by our Legisla.
ture "as a means Of improving the
teachers and fitting them for more
effective service in the free schools
Of our State" and this being the
ayowed object there can be nc
other, and that the law making
body nigh! not be misunderstood
in its object Of enacting law pro,
viding for county Institutes, it has
used the language quoted above
Then if this be the object Of The
law it could not DO that the legis
lature intended to make the at.
tendance upon the an Institute d
condition precedent to obtaining d
teachers certificate, for the law il.
self refers the whole matter Of en-.
tirely excusing the teacher from
any attendance to the Board of Tx.
aminers. And if it be true that
the attendance upon an Institute
is conditional to an examination,
it places our district Boards of Ed
ucation in a very embarrassing sit.
uation, as by the statutes of 1883
our Institutes are to,be heldin July
and August, ond the Boards of Ed
ucation must meet on the first Mon
day in July, and ut this meeting
shall determine the number Of
months the school shall be held in
the district, the number Of teach.
ers that may be employed in the
several sub-districts, and fix the
salaries that shall be paid to the
teachers. In determining the sui.
aries they shall have regard to the
grade Of teachers certificates, fix.
lngto each grt,dc The salary to be
paid to that grade" &c. Now, un.
less the Board Of Examiners have
power to award certificates before
the Institutes are held, how car
the district Boards act either wise.
ly"r intelligently in the discharge
OF thCtrduties2 Indeed the BDard
Ut Examiners have power to hold
examinations and award certiti
c"'e' at any time, and this power
anu authority is given them by
statute Th>regulations to be Oh
served by the D.ard ar4 found in
the Acts Of 1881, AMI the only con.
di'ion precedent to the admission
Of any person to an examination is
that the Board shall have reaan
able evidence that he or she is u
good moral character. This exam.
ination, then, held by Mr.. Kenny
as County Superintendent, on tho
9th Of June, 1883, was in every re.
spect legal, and those persons hold.
ing certificates awarded at such
examination are duly authorized
to be employed in our free schools
in Mason county, and any person
who, as school officer, seeks to dis.
regard these certificates, is himself
u violator Of the law. ***