Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1889-10-24
THURSDAY, OCT. "a, 1889.
Examination Of Teachers In Common
# Schools.

What is an examination, and what
Il It's purpose as applied to the teach
ers of our common. schoolsp 1t is,
4 or should be, simply the questioning
of them on the sciences or branches
taught in these schools, and obtain.
ing their answers for the purpose of
testing their knowledge and conse-
quent fitness for teaching. Any
question, the correct answer to
\ which, would give an index to the
knowledge of the subject under ex-
animation, would be pertinent and
proper. But we fail to see the per-
tinency or sense of many qucs-
tions propounded to the teachers in
the recent examination, which seem
rather to indicate the ignorance or
crankincss Of those who prepared
them, Jnan correct answers would
test tho knowledge and capability of
applicants to teach. The criticism
of the Abbeville Aedium is so time.
ly and well put that we adopt it in
toto without further comment. Our
contemporary says:
Some of tho questions at the re-
cent examination of teachers here
were very searching and evidently
evolved by some one who regards
the present State officials as already
historic characters. Under the
head of "IIIsToRY" we find the fol-
lowing:
"Who arc the present United
States Senators from South Carroll
na2 The United States Representa-
tives, and the districts they repre-
sent?
"Describe the State Government
and name its departments. The
officers now filing them.
"What is the Department Of Ag-
riculture ? Its duties2 Who is
the present Commissioner?
"What is the Clemson Bcqucst {?
Its amount and purpose ?"
These questions would moro pro-
perly have come under the head of
"Pol1rIcs." History, in its gcncr-
ally accepted meaning, is a narra-
tive of past events: "a statement of
the progress of nation or an insti-
tuition, with philosophical inquiries
respecting effects and causes" Now,
we submit that a person might be a
very capable teacher and yet not be
able to give n very lucid explanation
of what will be the philosophical ef-
feet OF the present administration OF
the State government. So also q
person might be able to teach a
common school and yet not be able
to tell the amount Of the Clemson
bequcst, when the case now in court
is finally decided. On the same line,
the following questions would have
been quite as important to prove the
capability of a teacher:
What was the Tillman Move
ment?
What has become of the Colum-
bia canal and how is it. getting
along?
Explain the law on township
bonds.
Give the geographical boundaries
of the 5th Congressional District
. and tell why the lines were run in
that way?
1t is not necessary to say more to
demonstrate that the questions re-
Gently asked were not adapted to
the purpose supposed to be Intended.
The last question of "Second series
1885," caps the climax. "Do you
propose to continue tcaching?" A
person may be perfectly competent
to teach and yet not intend to make
it life-work. There is nothing in
the law to require anyone, subject
to examination, to teach for any
stated time. The question therefore
is an unnecessary and idle one, and
the answer cannot be a test of ca
pacity. We will reserve further re-
marks for some future time.