The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1884-06-28

lOI II HulllDSI VI CdlS4 l bSN Nlc hdlHg |
ard the means of lighting and ventila-
ting them are go poor that the health Of
both teachers and pupils is endangered |
Two of the rooms are more objcctional
70: school purposes lhan any other school
rooms in the county. 1t is to lie hoped
taat the Taxpayers of the town will give
proper encouragement to the efforts mGle
by the present Board to secure the means
of erecting new building in the near
future.
OUR PRIMARY scHooIs.
One Of the surest und most accurate
tests of a proper conception Of education
and teaching on the part of school otli-
GERS, and of a healthy public sentiment
on the part of the people, is the estimate
they place upon the relative Importance
Of primary tcaclting, as compared with
the work Of the grammar school and
high school.
Three years ago, Tlicn we entered
upon the duties OF the office, there was
sent mcnt throughout the county, almost
un yersal that whilst great cate should
b, exercised by directors to secure the
services of scholarly and efficient prin-
cipal for the high school, any peIsoh Of
ordinary intelligence could he employed
to teach from so to 120 children "to read
AMI write in the primary school
Wnen it was found necessary to refrsc
certificates TO these persons, directors
would sometimes suggest that they
wanted them only for the primary school
and that not much scholarship wa:
necessary to teach little children. il
accordance with this sentiment, the low
est salaries were paid to the tcachcrs O
primary schools everywhere. Wher
va ancies occurred in any of the higher
grades, series of promotions" tool
llce Oy which the primary teachers o
experience were promoted" to eli thest
vacancies, and Young girls fresh from
the high school, were appointed to take
char Je of the primary schools. This wa
thought to be entirely in accordance Will
"ths eternal fitness Of things" and di
reCtors would sometimes be censured fol
not recognizing merit when such promo
tions were not made as teachers and thei
friends thought proper.
BY this system, teachers who wcr
successful in primary schools would, il
some instances, be promoted" into grade
in which they failed. This system
widely prevalent still throughout tn
county, does immense harm to botl
schools and teachers, and it is perhap
one of the surest evidences Of progress i
our county that We are rapidly gettin
rid of it,
The most experienced teachers shoul
he employed in the highest grades an
in the primary schools, and should r,
ceive the highest salaries WherevC
inexperienced teachers must be en-
ploycd, they should he placed in chars
of one of the intermediate grades at
lower salary than is paid the primal
teacher. Then, instead Of promotir
teachers from grades in which they ha'
proved successful into grades in whiC
their past experience can be only of j
direct value to them, and where, in co
soquence, they may fail, they should
retained where they are and the merit
their work be recognized by an adyan
in salary.
We suggested this plan TO numb
Of school boards three years ago. Sevt
al adopted it at once, and others ha
done so within the last two years. t
!, school board at Weatherly are payi
2 their primary teacher Sl2 ii month mo
e than some Of the teachers in high
grades. A similar step was taken
> the school board at Lansford. The pl
has proven so satisfactory that in f
Q years it will be adopted, in one form
K another, in all our graded schools.
.ee has made the primary schools at Weat
It erly and Lansford the best in the coun
i, and has oorrespondingly improved /
work done in other primary schools.
II there will be no longer any discri
ination made against primary teach
il point of salary, and if they will
made TO feel that an intelligent pul
n recognizes the merit and dignity Of tn
D, work as equal to that Of the work do
in the high school, they will be contc
oil TO remain in their positions and
$ longer desire to be promoted into hig