Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1894-02-17

% p. c. 3bOU 3rQ year.
sop. c. 1870 End year.
loop. c. Abb pupils, in 1893. LIST year.
CERTIFICATE OF GRADUATION.
The school law provides that Ger
tlfcates of graduation shall be is
sued to those pupils that complete
the prescribed Course of Study
ending with the ninth year, and
sustain a satisfactory examination
upon the same. Therefore the
teachers who may have pupils
completing the Course of Study,
should notify the County Superin-
tendent on or before the first day
of March in each year, and the
said Superintendent will then pre-
pare and have printed a list of
questions on the several branches
and will name a day near the time
of closing the said school for the
examination of graduates. These
examinations are to be written
and may be conducted by the
teachers in charge of the several
schools and the papers forwarded
Immediately to the County Super
intende71t for examination and
grading. But a better plan will
be for the graduating pupils of all
the schools in the magisterial dis
trict to meet the County Superin
tendent and members of the Board
of Education at some central and
convenient school room in said
district for examination. Diplo-
mas will not be given to any who
fail to make an average of so per
cent in the branches required to
be taught in the Country and Vii
lage Schools.
1t appears that IN other States
and foreign countries, of those
who enter upon a nine years
course, 20 per cent, or one out of
every five complete it. There is
no reason why this may not prove
true in Berkeley county, and if it
be so, then every friend of educa-
ton in the country should be up
and doing, not ceasing until every
County and Village School in the
county is thoroughly and complete
ly GRADED, and the Prescribed
Course of Study is as firmly fixed
as our education itself. Here it is
seen that of the 4133 pupils emu
merated in the school sub districts
of the county last year, 800 of them
only completed the Course in the
time required and received the
Common School Diploma.
Examine these figures and ask
yourself if it will pay to grade the
Country and Village Schools. Pay!
Will it pay to bring order out of
chaos? If so, it will pay to grade
these schools. 1t will pay morally,
Intellectually, and in dollars and
cents as a business enterprise. The
teachers Of these schools will grade
them. This Course of Study is a
practical one, for it provides only
for the teaching of the Primary
School branches in the Primary
Schools. 1t does not permit some
pupils to be instructed in higher
branch by a teacher in a County
or Village School, whilst a dozen
others-httle oues-sit idly by, in
stead of being taught how to read.
The Course Of Study which pre-
vents the teacher from Maaak5ng
and, therefore, destroys his indi-
viduality, is totally impracticable
and therefore failure. mo teach
er can teach another how to teach"
A Course of Study guides him as
to a0h0t to teach, but when it at
tempts to set before him a model
hoW to teach, that moment it be-
comes a hinderance rather than
help, and the teacher who sla-
vishly follows such Course, will
himself prove failure. The teach
er alone knows the capacity of his
pupils and the true interests of
his school, and he must therefore,
have wide scope for his indiv1du-
al power, tact and influence.
In this Course of Study there is
room for the widest originality of
the teacher, and as he pursues it,
he will the more readily discover
this fact. Nowhere in it is he de-
prived of his own methods of
teaching and of school government
and while the work to be done is
all outlined before him, not in
single instance does it assume to
tell him h0a0 it shall be performed.
This Course of Study is thoroughly
practical in the hands of the coun-
try teacher who, in connection
with the work laid out to be ac-
complished, will remember that
courtesy and politeness may be
encouraged, and in many ways,
not connected with text book in
struction. pupils may be fitted for
the active duties of life. Aim to
produce from the pupils found in
the school, progressive, capable,
trustworthy, aud virtuous men and
woven.
Success will come to the school
in which the teacher puts this
Course of Study into full effect.
THE PARENTS DUTY
is to send his child to school reg
ularly. Encourage him to take the
Course of Study and provide him
with the necessary text books.
All the books any pupil will need
from the time he enters school to
graduation will cost less than ten
dollars.
You owe your child a good edu-
cation and it is your duty to him,
your county, your state, your
country, your God, and yourself to
see that he has the opportunity to
get it.
Ihave given you but an outline
of the Cor rse of Study. Ifyou de-
sire to see it complete call upon