The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-12-04
0URPUBLG SCHOOLS
Continues From First Paos.I

school term prevents The making OF
teaching permanent occupation sim
ply because it does not pay. and keeps
teaching a makeshift to be done when
nothing else better can be had, or as
a stepping.stone to something else,
Or keeps in the teaching force those
whose ability is such that they can.
not get anything else odo.
Here, then. are -four things: tne
non-enrolment of many youth in the
schools, the irregularity in attendance
of those enrolled Ia serious hindrance,
as every teacher knows, to the sue
ces of his SCHOOL,, the low wages Of
teachers, and the shortness Of the
school term.
Let US consider these briefly In the
reverse order stated
The time is here for a longer
school term. Let the next Legisla-
ture make the minimum six months;
the following Legislature increase
that to seven months; and the next,
10 eight months. l think we ought to
go as fast as this at least. This Of
itself will cause improvement in the
quality Of the teaching force, because
it will give more employment to the
teachers.
1t is said of poets that they are
born, not made. The remark applies,
though in a lesser degree, to success
full teachers, 1t is not mere learning
that makes the teacher it is knowl'
edge and the tact or skill to impart
it. He must know, Of course, but
he must also know how to impart
what he knows. II person fit to
teach school can make more money
and have better opportunity for
permanent employment in some 9th
er occupation, he Is not likely TO
adopt the teachers occupation.
Hence, we get among our teachers
Immature persons, persons who teach
as q make.shift and hence nave not
much heart in 1t, and persons of In
ferior ability who teach because they
are not capable of filling more lucra-
tive places. There should be increase
in the compensation of our school
teachers.
AS the teacher so is the school. 1t
is sometimes thought that anybody
can teach the little ones. This is a
great mistake. They need the very
best teachers, the highest skill, the
greatest tact; the best books, and the
best of other aids. And the movement
for cheaper school books does not ap.
peal to me as strongly as would a
contest for tde best schools books.
The best teacher is he who will best
stimulate his pupils to think. If he
can raise an enthusiasm for tlfinking
in his school, the rest is easy. Learn
to think is education.
If the State has the rigat to estab-
lish public school system and to
support it by public taxation, it has
the right to compel those for whom
this provision is thus made to partake
of it. Hence, the State has the right
to pass and enforce laws requiring
all youth to attend school. 1t do not
know what Is the late concensus OF
opinion among school men as to the
efficiency OF these compulsOry-attenl'
ance laws, but venture to say that
they are merely supplementary, and
that they are better suited to cities
than to rural districts.
To get the youth into school and
keep them there must be done largely
by the teachers. Laws will aid them
but the bulk of the work must be done
by the teachers. To this end avery
teacher should be induced to become
a missionary, to preach among the
adult people Of his school district the
benefit and duty of education, to gath
err every child into his school, and to
keep him there. The true teacher,
who has heart in his WORK, will do
this: but let us reward him and at the
same time appeal to the selfishness
Of his less enthusiastic brother Let
there be given by the State Superin'
tendent himself a handsome certifi'
cate to the teacher in every district
who has the best enrolment and the
best attendance; also, an addition to
his wages, based in amount on the
per centage of such excellence; and,
Furthermore, let this handsome ceruf'
cate, bearing the signature of the
State Superintendent himself, count
for a definite something in the next
grading of his teachers certificate.
Longer school term and Increased