Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1889-09-06
Our Public Schools.

The lengthy effusions of some of
our wordy pedagogues of late regard
ing the manner in which School Boards
should be appointed and should de-
port themselves and the methods
which should be pursued by Exami-
ners in ascertaining the qualifications
of teachers, suggests some thoughts
regarding our public school system.
The qualifications of teachers and
the methods of ascertaining the same
are matters which the school law
seems to have wisely left in the sound
discretion of the county school boards
and their examiners. The character
Of examination to be resorted to as
test of the mental and moral fitness of
the teacher, and the percentage of
correct answers which shall be allow
ed as the minimum in the mental ex-
animation to which the teacher is
subjected, are questions for the coun.
ty school boards alone. 1t is mani
fest that whether Is per cent. is or is
not a low minimum depends entirely
upon the character of the exsnlina-
tion. If the examination is difficult
or rigid one, it might puzzle the best
equipped teachers to make IS per cent;
while, on the other hand, if it were Of
an easy or elementary character,
poorly informed teacher might ap-
proximate close to 100 per cent.
But the mental examination as to
the amount of information the appli-
cant for the teachers place possesses,
is but a part of the examination to
which the theory of the school law ex-
poets the school boards to subject
the candidate for the teachers office.
His moral character is deemed. Of para
mount Importance and his capacity
to iupart instruction to youth of both
sexes is a large element in the qualifi-
cation of the public school teacher.
The most efficient county school
boards of the State refuse to give q
first class certificate to any teacher,
however high percentage he may
make in the examination, until he
has by actual service in teaching de-
monstrated the probity of his moral
character, the correctness of bis man
ner and methods in the school room
and his capacity to impart instruction
to the youthful mind. And thus it
happens that many teachers who have
passed the highest mental examina.
tions never obtain first class certi6-
cate, or the fare of the best schools in
those consS ies where the school sys-
=asa.<hasst Esaits3 3reaeest sxceffence.-
One day observation of the te,ch-
er among Ns pupils is deemed by ex-
perienced school men of more value
in determining his real qualification
for his calling than all the men tsl ex-
aminations that could be resorted to.
But the real burden of the COM
plant of our dissatisfied knight of
the birch seems to be that the men,
bers of the present school board are
Democrats appointed by the Governor
and that the gentle man they selected
as examiner was not taken from
among the teachers. 1t is we'll to
bear in mind that the law taking the
power of appointment Of the county
school boards in this Circuit from the
Judges and vesting it in the Governor,
was enacted upon the specific memo
rial of Judge Stone, in which he
maintained that the vesting of this
appointing power in the judiciary
was an unconstitutional imposition
and asked to be relieved of the same.
It should also be remembered that
the examiner appointed by Judge
Stones school board, (Which appoint
ment was understood to have been
made out of special Difference to the
wishes Of the Judge) was not in any
wise identified with the. teachers as
class.
What The Alliance Is Doing