The herald., 1893-02-12
PEDAGOGUES' MEETING.
PROCEEDINGS YESTERDAY OF EDU-
CATIONAL ASSOCIATION.
Mr. RowelI's Views on Examinations
Professor Hutton's Report-Prin-
cipal Features of the
Discussion.

The Los Angeles County Educationa
association met Saturday morning in
the assembly room of the high echoo
building. President Leroy D. Brown
occupied the chair.
Miss Dunham, the secretary. read the
minutes of the last meeting, after which
Mr.. E. P. Rowell of Rsdondo presented
paper on Examinations.
Mr.. Rowell said: The educational
structure is well-nigh hidden by the
scaffolding thereof.
Among the many things that impede
our progress and obstruct our vision
the most useless cumberer ia the writ.
ten examination.
The examination system of which we
complain began in New England and
has spread all over New York, Ohio, In
diane, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and in
an aggravated form it affects nearly all
OF the western states.
The frequency and intricacy of these
examinations and their general useless
ess is cause enough to procure their
abolition in all civilized states.
Teachers and pupils are continually
harassed by boards that know little or
nothing of the individuals most con-
cerned, and the conundrums usually pro-
pounded are not calculated to benefit
the sufferers in any way.
When teacher has once passed a fair
examination, why should he be COM
PEELED to procure new passport at the
boundary of each county to which he re.
moves? Does lawyer get a permit to
practice certain kind of law in q GER
tain county for six months? Is he then
compelled to pass another examination
to get another permit for another six
months, or to show the authorities that
he has not forgotten the elements of his
business while he has been actively en-
gagged in practicing it? Is doctor
licensed to kill microbes for q year then
hauled before "board" to show that
he has sufficient skill to kill them for
another year.? Is teacher the only
unfortunate in this unfortunate busi-
ness! No, there Is another sufferer.
The pupil is called upon to bear a por-
tion of the results of this system.
California once had much better
system than the one now in vogue, but
when the "Kearney constitution" was
adopted the astute county superintend-
ents imagined they saw the uniformity
of the child-mind, and our present evil
system is the result of their labors.
Now the unfortunate child who gets
only 79 and 9.10ths out of every 100
questions propounded on examination
day must go back year in his school
work, while his fellow sufferer who got
1-10th of grade more reaps the reward
OF promotion. We are told that promo
tion without examination will do for
city teachers, but that it will not do for
teachers. OF what different
clsys are the two classes of teachers
made? Strange cozenage Queer mis-
reasoning!
Mr.. Rowell was followed by Professor
Hutton of the Normal school. who
agreed with him in every particular.
Professor Hutton read q report showing
that most of tho teachers of the state
ATOMS.
Professors Hamilton and Graham OF
Pasadena, Mr.. Ennis of Los Angeles,
Mr.. Hutchinson of University and sew
eral others were eager to take the floor
to argue on the other side of the ques-
tion, but owing to the lateness
Of the hour further discussion of
the subject was postponed till the
April meeting, and Mr.. @. L. Ennis was
appointed to open the discussion at
that time.
DR.. Hoose's paper was postponed till
March.
The association was favored with some
excellent music: A vocal solo by Miss
Joanna Williams OF Los Angeles and
cornet solo, Over the Stars There is
Rest, by Mr.. Roy Sumner of Los Ange-
les; accompanies, Misses Bertha
Walker and Dell Mathews.