The San Francisco call., 1898-04-17

school was laid over for. the present, though the board decided that another meeting must be called within six months, as the scnool will be opened next January The presidents of the normal schools, Mrs Wilson and Mir. Black. were appointed a committee to make arrange ments for securing to school teachers the benefit of normal training during theik vacation.
 Dr. E. H. Williams. president of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia. recently presented to the Sloyd School at Santa Barbara several blocks of wood, in which were mortices of various sizes, cut with a bit which bores square holes. The boys were so interested to see the instru- ment that Dr. Williams sent for one from Philadelphia
 QUALIFICATIONS OF TEACHERS
 President J. H. Todd of the Oakland Board of Education, In summarizing the work of the city school department for
 the past year reported paf that th h6a9d 6ae most the advance in standard of educational qualifications required for teachers. that is not so important in selecting teacher for school as that element which develops the character. It is very difficult to find just the individual to i'm part or develop in the mind and heart what we call character. That is much more important than simple instruction in the several branches of study. and Is the most difficult to secure.
 In these sentiments President Todd has indicated the tendency of a movement educational circles, and which promises broader and deeper and higher and in our public schools. That education means merely an improvement of the earning capacity has been too much the school affairs, and the unsatisfactory re- suits of this have set men to thinking. After all, are not culture and character hnn ft1l f0 a1lr~C rfV1cy fl.1% pacity for human effort in the direction Of all truly useful as we'll as worthy and lofty aims? This movement indicates reaction from the painfully pracucal to the higher ideal Tn education.
 It means that the child who has been rightly taught will understand that the true value of an education Is not to en- able him to wear better clothes and to-. dwell in a finer house and to work lessE teach a child those things which will en- able him to become financially helpful and sef-sustaining is worthy of the best efforts of the teacher, but the narrowing down of an education to these merely practical ends, without proper ideals of conduct and without motives which make possible a higher material and spiritual fife, is fraught with gravest dangers 10 the individual, to the State and to hu- manity.
 Weii-equipped buildings, carefully a1- ranged courses of study and systems of grading gre desirable indeed, but they are only secondary, while in the fitness, the fidelity, the efficiency, and, above all, the wholesome personal influence of the teacher is the vital element in the tratn- ing of the pupils of our public schools.
 It is a gratifying indication of the rec ognition of the value of tho culture quail ficauon in teachers when boards of edu- cation give expression to the thoughts quoted from President Todd. With the closer discrimination in the selection of teachers which such opinions imply there will surely come more satisfactory and sympathetic relations between all the people and our public educational sys- tenn.
 It is we'll to remember that the public school system Is our protection against greater dangers than those our country may be exposed to from armored cruisers of hostile nations, and upon the quality of the teaching service of these schools no patriotic citizen can afford to be in. different. A. MEGAHAN.