The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-06-16
The Provisional Ger
ti6cate.

The time for teachers examinations
is at hand, when such certificates will
be granted or withheld, as may seem
best to the County Superintendent 1t
Is not an unusual thing for wise and
good men to differ in opinion on mat
tiers of public interest. Hence it will
hardly be considered strange, if
country clod-hopper should differ in
some points from man of literary re-
pute. Be that as it may, l shall take
the liberty to express an opinion in re.
gard to the provisional certificate a
little at variance from that expressed
by the State Superintendent in his last
two reports. He seems to regard them
or the persons holding them as almost
an unmixed evil, that should be got
rid Of as early as possible. In his
haste he seems not to be governed by
that calm delberation which should
and generally does characterize the
man.
If l understand the State Supeiin.
tendent Alright, when a person has
taught three terms with provisional
certificate no matter how successful
he or she has been as an instructor or
how we'll they have satisfied their en-
ployers, they should be cast overheard
and the place filed by perhaps an in
experienced teacher, unless in the
Judgment of the County Superinten-
dent the person is entitled to higher
grade of certificate. Such act it seems
to me might in many cases be an In
justice, both to the teacher and the
school. Believing as I and many
Others do, that there has been and
still are good teachers who never have
held any but provisional certificate
| think it would be the part of wisdom
to make haste slowly in our efforts to
get rid of them. At least we had bet
ter be sure that we have some one as
good or better to put in their place be-
fore we discard them.
There are many cases in which the
number Of provisional certificates may
i well be limited to three, and perhaps
one would be still better, and none
best of all.
A normal diploma or permanent
certificate does not always insure a
good teacher. We very naturally sup
pose that the drill student gets at a
normal school produces better teach
er than the same person would be
without that drill. But it requires a
certain natural adaptation to a busi.
ness of any kind, if the person follow
ing it is going to he success at it.
School teaching is no exception to the
rule. You might as well try to make
a whistle out of pigs tail, as to try
to make a successful teacher of one
who has no natural aptitude for that
kind of work. do not believe, that
a certificate is always a correct criter-
ion by which to judge teachers quail.
ihcations. l think it is difficult if not
impossible for Superintendent in the
short space Of time generally spent
with class of candidates, to be sure
that he is doing equal and exact JUS
tlce to all.
l think that l could point to more
than one instance in which the candi-
date was actually better scholar than
The person conducting the examina-
ton, and yet they only got a provis.
ional certificate. If am not mis-.
taken in this, who will say that it was
just3
l have positively known at least one
instance in which two persons were
passing examination at the same time,
when the best scholar received the
lower grade of certificate. In such
case we must conclude, either that the
Superintendent was mistaken, or that
he was governed by partiality or pre-
Ijudlce, but in either case an injustice
was done. The only safe criterion by
which to determine persons worth
as a teacher is his or her work in the
school room.
| Their every day life is better guide
to determine their moral character,
than the Superintendent's certificate,
no matter how correct his owa morals
may be.
I.,.,c