The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-12-30

jects pursued in the usual high school
course, not including any foreign lang
uages. hence where high school gradu
alton IS REQUIRED in a city the number of
academic subjects corresponds closely
with the number required in the First
Grade State Certificate Jersey City re-
quires high schoo graduation with at
tention TO pedagogical subjects in the
last fifteen months of the school course,
and one year subsequent to graduation
IN q training course. Newark requires
high school graduation and subsequent
to this graduation in a normal and rain
ing course of two years. Elizabeth has
three grades beginning with a lowest one
corresponding closely with a third grade
county certificate and including within
the range of the three grades, the num-
Der of academic subjects included in the
State and county certificate. Plainfield
issues no certificate other than a con-
tract to teach. Perth Amboy, Railway.
Salem, Bayonne, Bridgeten, Gloucester,
and Egg Harbor use the county system.
several ways as to the qualifications of
the applicants. New Brunswick grants
certificates to her high school graduates
upon request. 0rang issues different
grades of certificates. Trenton requires
nigh school graduation and one year in a
training class. Passaic has different
grades Phillipsburg accepts the county
teachers certificate plus pedagogy. i
have been unable to obtain the systems
of Hoboken, Millyille, or Camden. but
understand that in the two latter cities
different grades Of certificates are issued
with little pedagogical requirements. In
some of the cities issuing different
grades of certificates, each grade is per-
manent for teaching in schools OF a des-
lgnated grade, while in other cities, none
but the highest grade is permanent. 1t
should further be stated that where nor
NAL and training courses exist the sub
jects pursued in these courses differ ma
terially, and that there is no supervising
officer with. in the State authorized to
inspect or compare or unity these diff
ferent courses.
1.-THE end desired In our educational
systems is the best possible education of
the children. Essential to the accom-
plishment in this end in the securing Of
fully qualified, competent teachers.
THE object and the sole object Of the
licensing system is to secure an adequate
test by competent parties of the would
be teacher and a certificate of the same.
Whenever this test is used for an in
direct purpose. such a sto Keep some per-
son out of a locality or establish COM
petitive merits it works evil to the main
cause.
Furthermore. as is shown from the
manner in which the people mingle to-
gether the oInrnon nature of their inter-
ests, and uniform professional require
ments in all other branches a standard
fty and when attained should entitle him
to teach anywhere in the State.
'Supposirg that it were true that the
standard required in Jersey City should
permit uiic JtdclEf TO lGdc1 IN EOpOkGn
and that the tanda required in Hobo
ken was much lower than that in Jer-'
sey City, what would follow?
First, That one or the other of these
cities was mistaken in its judgment of
what OF what constituted adequate quail
ifcations to zach.
Second, That by reason of financial
pressure and a mercantile estimate
placed upon the certificate by a number
of persons the Hoboken certificate would
be sought most because more easily att
tanned, and it would soon come to pass
that Hoboken would issue most of the
certificates for both cities.
Third, Those acquiring the Jersey City
certificate would be unappreciated and in
case this higher certificate was the better
the whole progress of education would
be deteriorated-
eThe question naturally follows, Should
there be certificates Of different grades?
Permanent certificates, no.
The issuing of different grades of
ply that some persons could efficiently
teach with less qualifications than others.
.'The establishment of these different
grades by the state was an expedient
of efficiency in each grade.
Furthermore, while lower grades are
issued their standards should be uniform
all over the state and they should bear
such limitations as to time and territory
as betoken the real estimate pIaeed upon
them by the commonwealth, namely, ex-
pedients until the time shall come when
all shall be able to obtain the higher
certificates and when the salaries paid
the teachers shall be in dignified keeping
with truly professional labor.
On motion, Miss Elizabeth A. Allen of
Jersey City, Secretary of the Pension
Fund Committee. was given the priv
ilege of the floor. She gave a brief his
tory of the movement. She said tina 10
states are now moving in the matter
of pension for teachers. She repeated her
individual opinion that the State should
pension its cache She said the pro-
fession must be made attractive, or else
soon the bright women will desert it. as
the men generally have. for h as
honorable and remunerative callings.
There are many avenues open today to
women which were not opened twenty
years ago. However, no attempt will be
made for State aid until public sentiment
has changed.