The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-03-19
A BOARD OF EXAMINERS
THE OFFICE OF COUNTY EXAM
INER is ABOLISHED.
A DISTRICT TO A TOWNSHIP
No Public School Committeeman
Apportioned Per Capita--Eo Third
Grade Teachers Annual lns!i-
rute--F atures Explained.

measure passed by the body. The bill
was drawn by Senator George u. But
Ter. of Sampson county, and has received
the endorsement of the State Superin-
tendent of Public Instruction as well as
the prominent educators of the State,
and was reported favorably by the Sen
ate and House Educational committees
and the subcommittee on Education to
which it was referred for inspection.
The bill is a thorough revision of the
public school system of the State and we
give below the chief features of the bill:
LIST. 1t provides for State Board of
School Examiners consisting of three
professional teachers to be appointed by
the State Board of Education. They
meet upon the call of the State Superin-
tendent of Public Instruction, who is ex-
officio chairman of the Board of Examin-
ers, and their duties are to prepare
courses of reading and professional study
for teachers, and to outline methods Of
teaching and school government. They
are further empowered to prepare an
nually a set of examination questions
to be submitted to the County Supervis-
or of schools in each county on the sec
Ond Thursday in July Of each year, and
teachers passing a satisfactory examina-
ton are granted Life Certificate by the
State Board of Examiners-but said GER
tifcates are to be renewed every five
years by the said board, provided the
teacher makes an affidavit that he has
been actually engaged in teaching since
receiving said certificate.
End. 1t abolishes the office of County
Examiners-and re-establishes County
Board Of Education, and gives them the
power together with the Clerk of the
Court and the Register of Deeds to elect
a County Supervisor ofs schools. The
duties of a County Supervisor are to ex-
anime teachers, to sign all orders drawn
upon the school fund of the county, to SUI
pervise the schools of his county, and
to be secretary Of the County Board of
EducatiO
3rd. 1t requires the County Board of
Education to divide their county into as
many school districts as there are town
ships in said county, but allows as many
school houses in each district as may be
necessary for the accommodation of both
races, provided a greater number of
schools are not established than will give
to each district ain average of fewer
than sixty-fve pupils.
18th. 1t abolishes all public school COM
mittees for each race as now provided
by law, and provides instead, for the APP
pointment, by the County Board of Ed
ucation of FIVE intelligent business men
favorable to public education, who are
to act as school committeeman for both
races in each township district
9th. 1t requires the school fund of each
county to be apportioned to each dis
trict per capita, and the committee are
then to re-apportion this sum to the yari-
GUS schools, white and colored in their
district, so that each school shall have
the same length of school term, but in
making said apportionment the commit
tee are to have proper regard for the
grade of work to be done and the quail
fications of the teachers required in each
school, white and colored in the district.
9th. 1t abolishes third grade teachers
certificates and makes the same require
ments for the first grade and second
grade certificates as are now provided
by law, and requires an examination fee
of 81 90 from each teacher ON the sec
ond Thursdays in July, September and
April, each year, and fee of $1.5O from
each teacher provided they require an
examination at any other time than
named above. The fees from the eXamin-
alton Of teachers are required to be placed
in the general school fund of the county.
It'll. 1t provides for a teachers Institute
for each race to be held annually, of at
least one weeks duration, conducted by
the County Supervisor of schools or some
practical educator.
Sth. 1t provides for the removal of the
school committeeman, upon just cause,
by the County Board of lEducation--and
for the removal of the County Supervisor
or any member of the County Board Of
Education upon just cause and proper
complaint to the State Board of Educa-
ton.
The author of the bill claims that this
bill has eliminated the undesirable feat
ures Of our former school laws in this
State, and will establish a new system
that will not only revolutionize the public
schools Of the State, but will provide
four months school for each district
without necessarily increasing our pre-
sent rate of taxation.
The most desirable features Of the bill
are-1st. That it establishes the township
system and thereby abolishes weak dis
tricts, a feature in our former school law
that made it necessary for one-third of
our school fund to be given to weak dis
tricts to equalize their school term and
while the Legislature, each session would
increase the rate Of taxation for the pub
lie schools, yet the number of school dis
tricts increased in greater ratio, and
hence OUT school term was never length
ened It is claimed that the provisions
of this bill providing against the forma-
ton of weak districts will alone give us
a four months public school in every coun-
ty in the State.
End. That it guards against the ap-
pointment of ignorant and incompetent
colored or white teachers, thereby
lengthening the school term by properly
adjusting the salaries of tea cheers to the