Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1889-08-09

| Mr.. Editor 1T seems that the long rainy
season has had very depressing effect on
your correspondent "Nebo." Yet fearing to
criticize the Being" who rules the storm, he
could not let the opportunity pass without
venting his spleen on some one. So believing
he has found subject in our school author
tiles" with great flourish Of trumpets and cry
of fraud 'Monstrous fraudl' lin your last
| issue he attacks them tooth and nail and for
WHAT because. he 'has heard it said, - does nj
kaotc, that the law Of usage, or some other
law, has established 65 per cent as the mini
mum average which will entite candidate
| to teach in the schools ofour county. Ne5o"
SAYS it is too low, land Nebo is an honorable
man. he does not give any per centage rating
| for the guidance of our Examiner, but claims
that every teacher should be master OF two
branches named by him, i. e., Arithmetic and
Grammar. Now, when we consider what to
be, master Of these two branches means. |
think if it were established as q standard,
very few of our schools would be taught by
the sons and daughters of our citizens, for it
seems to me to be master of Arithmetic one
should be conversant with all the prinsiples
underlying the various rules Of the Sgienee,
and when we see such authorizes as SH tAsud
Qtfackeabos, quoting other opinions pr the
guidance of students, thereby acknowl dying
that they might be in error, we readily see
the difficulty of becoming master OF Gram
mar, and something whispers the thought
that even ''Nebo'' would not StInd the test. -
Now do not understand me TO say that our
Young men and women could not acquire the
erudition asked for by ''Nebo'' but, ! say, the
majority of them at least, will never sfquire
it until they stand in school rooms, hot as
pupils but as Teachers, and "Nebo'' dtters
gross Islander when he says, they whof he is
pleased TO term 65 per centers rarely,hf ever
ADVANCE in knowledge" bis unfortunate expe
rience to the contrary Notwithstanding, and
it is to give them this opportunity OF making
corpetsnt Teachers of themselves that the
sSchool Board in the person OF our Exam
lner," permits them to enter upon proba-
tionary period of six months or year and
extends their time If they give evidence of
their ability TO conduct school, and if they |
sometimes err in this extension, why. it is |
only human But the most fatal mistake that |
.Nebon makes is in assuming that the thor
onghly competent "Teacher' is one who, only /
has the necessary knowledge, the most i'm
portaut question in my mind for parents is,
can he impart what he does know ana think
a az per center if he has the Industry to use
the tsmiduioht OIL to inform himself on diff
6eult questions, and has the knowledge of
how 10 impart is preferable to the one who
knows but cannot make his explanation clear
enough for his young audience, 70 De sure
both qualities can exist at hrst N me same
person, but am trying to establish the fact
Than examination is not an intalliole test of a
Teacher and enc case of its truth comes to
hand. which I'll cite. have II from The lips
a man whose reputation as an educator Is not
limited 10 The confines Of our State, who on
two occasions completely failed to pass an ex-
animation. Yet to-day, he is Principal of the
STATE Normal, and his success shines forth
10 lioht up the paths Of our '65 per eenters,"
them TO scoru the lnuendoes of
sueh as "Neho" and to ever iet Their motto {
be Excelsior A e5 Per Center.