Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1895-05-21
School Circular.

10 applicants Tor county certificate,
State certificate and State diplomat:
In making up the questions of the
current year, the State Board of Elk
aminers purpose to indicate even
more emphatically than heretofore
the design of the law that teachers in
the public schools should be fully
prepared to give accurate and eff
cient instruction in every branch pre-
scribed; that they should realize the
importance of this; and that County
Boards of Examiners insist upon as
close attention to one subject as to an
other. Much complaint has been
made that the old tendency to regard
certain things as essential and others
as. merely complimentary or incident
al still obtains; and that what is char
acterized in homely phrase as good
"all-round" instruction and drill is
far from being the rule. The ques-
ton as to the relative educational val
ne OF studies is momentous one,
now fortunately undergoing in this
country serious and thoughtful in
vestigation and discussion; but it is
not within the province of State or
County Boards to determine (even to
consider) this when pronouncing up
on the qualifications of persons who
must obtain the States license to
take charge of her common schools.
The branches specified by law are, to
the extent to which they are to be pur-
sued, fundamental, and teacher
should be so thoroughly versed in
each that there will be no tendency
to develop into the arithmetic crank"
the grammar crank" or the other
wise unreasonably- BIASED individual
in field that requires above all 9th
ers the well-balanced and adaptable
mind. If the foundation laid in the
common school is faulty, the super
structure of the after-life cannot be
strong and symmetrical; and it is due
to the child that none of the funda-
mentals alluded to be sighted. A
wrong is inflicted upon him when
they are sighted.
1t has occurred to us that one of
the most serious defects in current
teaching is the partial neglect of the
language studies and exercises, spell
ing, reading, writing, and compost
ton; and while in the questions for
the year nothing will be given prom
inence, the tests on these points will
be given their due Importance, and
county boards are respectfully urged
to require their careful consideration
as to time allotted each on examina-
ton and as to credits allowed.
Technical grammar, arithmetic, ge
ography, history, and physiology
will not be less regarded than hereto
fore, but will be more consistent, one
month with another, and better cal
culated to treat the applicants ia
miliarity Herewith and his Judgment
as to principles, effects and applica-
ton; while something more than the
customary Importance will be given
to the civil government and to the
science and art of teaching the
latter now required by law to take its
place on examination with the school
branches, and to be graded with equal
care.
We deprecate anything that savors
of examining for examinations" but
we should be remiss of duty to those
who wish to enter upon the important
work of teaching, Tor to continue
therein,) if we should fail to indicate
our views as to the necessity of care
full attention to every branch, and APP
pearto have misled them by bringing
them without fair warning face to
face with series of questions making
those increased demands which are
imperative if we wish to make some
gain each year in the efficiency of the
teaching force.
AS will be inferred, it is well that
in reviewing or prosecuting the work
in which many of you are now engag-
ed in training schools, or private
study, you examine with much par
ticularity the chapter on photography
as found in your practical grammar;
that. you note all that is found in the
writing books in general use; that in
composition you consider with much
care punctuation, capitalzing, para
| graphing lin short all that relates to
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