The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-29

fife certificate is given to every teacher who has for ten years succsssf lilly taught first grade subjects. This Is as 1t should be; but Is merely temporary expe- dient to avoid doing injustice to our old experienced teachers who nave proved their worth. Mississippi gives a profess sionai certificate after an examination df higher order than those which lead to a limited certificate. This prt fessional certificate Is good for life. However. the Mississippi examina sion is not at all what I should desire for a professional certificate in Alabama. Our professional certificate should be something so diff ficult of attainment that i,s pursuit would fire the ambition of :,ll u,ir earnest young teachers and give materialN for serious study for years. This is the plan which I advocate: Let the twenty or more non-prescribed studies emu merated in this article ne carefully ar ranged by committee If experienced educators in groups of equal value; not less than eight studies In each group. They should be so arranged that each group should contain studies which ap- peal to the reason. to the imagination. to the emotions. The possessor of ffrst-grade certificate who wishes to ob- tain a professional certificate good for life should select with care the group best suited to his tastes ead abilities and prepare for examination on one of the required subjects. One month before examination he should ac1ualnt the State Superintendent with his desire to take this examination. filling cut form pre- pared for the purpose. It Is not to be expected that any board of tAam'ners are prepared to examine oil every subject; so the State Superintendent should be per mitted to request the pr )fessor at tho State University teaching this subject. to prepare the examination Iape- and grade it after the examination If the subject is one not taught at :he dniversi- ty. as vocal music or drawing. the board might call in the service of an approved specialist
 Now if the candidate passes this exam ina ton successfully seal bearing the name of the subject should be attached to his ffrst-grade certificate. These seals should be of different color Tor each subject, as blue. red. gold. brown, yellow, black, etc. When student has earned all the eight seals of one group he should receive from the State board profes- sional certificate good for life.
 The Course of Study.
 The course of study should te such that the student who has finished any one group will be as much advanced as though he had completed the junior year at the university or any other c"Iege be- longing to the Association of Colleges. and keeping strictly the regulations pre- scribed by the association. A life certi- ficate should therefore, admit the stu dent without further examinati on to the senior class of the State University or the Polytechnic at Auburn. Certain sub- jects should be included in every group. as. for instance. drawing. vocal music, English history. English literature.
 The Mississippi law requires that all subjects should be taken at one time The Alabama law should permit cnly one, or at most two, to be taken at time The Mississippi plan must cause cramming and smattering and thus con- duce to superficiality. The other plan would set every ambitious young teacher in the State to studying one important subject, and keep him occupied for some years. Correspondence schools for the assistance of students should te estab- lished at the higher State institations.
 If the present Legislature will pass such a law we will soon have In Alabama q band of public school teachers who will be not only first grade" but ''irst-class.