The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-10-12
Needed Link Between
 Schools and ColleSes

under conditions now existing 1t is pu
 upon him to work his way not only | through college, but through a pre-,
 paratory school as we'll
 There was good deal of meat in the
 suggested extra session of the Legis.
 iature after all. As suggested 1t was 1 to be largely an educational session
 And the session could have done more
 and rendered less valuable service to
 the State in many things than in the making of a direct connection between
 the common schools and the States
 supported colleges. After all the
 common school system that falls
 short of carrying a boy to the college
 doors is deficient school system. High School Deficiency. To this phase of educational condi- tions in Alabama Hon. I. W. Hill State Superintendent of Education has given earnest thought. Out of this con- sideration he has evolved a remedy which will be presented to the Legisla- | ture at the next session of that body
 Excepting the nine agricultural schools and the high schools of the principal cities and towns. a half dozen or more MT. Hill spoke with some irony of the high school instruction that ordinarily
 may be had in Alabama.
 Every public school in the State is a
 high school" said MT. Hill. 'The
 teacher may only hold a third grade
 certificate, in most cases the third grade
 certificate is the one held, but the
 school is high school just the same.
 The parent has a child who has finish
 cd the common school work. He
 wants to know of the teacher if he or
 she can carry the child through the
 high school work and prepare him for college. Oh. yes. the teacher can do that. At least he or she says she can do it. And there's where the trouble comes in. The third grade teacher may have a very elementary knowI- edge of algebra, of geometry, of Latin or of any other collegiate necessary, put he or she goes ahead just the same.
 The pupil is grounded in a degree In some of the essential college studies. just enough for him to stand the en- trance examination at best. It 'is too often the case that when the pupil at- tends these home made high schools he Is not even qualified for the entrance examinations. He is not sufficiently prepared to pass on the entrance es- sentials.
 Lack of Thoroughness.
 But if he should pass the college examinations, if he should be drilled for the purpose of passing the college ex- aminations, his collegiate career is a disappointment for the basis of 1t has not been built by earnestness and thoroughness. We have had such pupils to apply for teachers licenses after they had been graduated from | college. Many of them have failed en- tirely. Others have applied for a first | grade certificate and succeeded in get l ting only third grade certificate. How does it happen that a man who | goes through college Is not able to get | nrst grade certificate under the State | low or even worse, fails to get any sort | of certificate?
 'The trouble is that the groundwork was not laid for his education He lid not have the thorough training. that | ne would have gotten from a high school or an effective preparatory school. In the applicants for teachers licensees, who are college graduates we nave felt the lack of high school train ng. I am sure that the colleges have experienced trouble of the same nature rom students who have not had ldequation preparation for college work"
 There Is a remedy for this State of lffairs. The Legislature can work the 'ure. When the Legislature meets lgain it Is more than possible that the Department of Education will recom- mend remedy for this very thing. It 'an be done by regulating the sort of | trade and the first grade licenses shall each.
 This In short Is the solution. making he common school, a common and reating a high school that shall be aiming this end is to permit the teach r who has a second or a third grade isense .SGs, t1 teach only in q common high schools @ taught G iay b9 s1eEs the 'ns nd or third grade students. Under he present law the teacher with the hird grade license can teach anything, 1hatever else she may feel called upon
 The high school of right should be ssa eserved ao. for the holder of the first each thoroughly and adequately the tudles In a thorough. high school purse.
 '"The remedy for the strengthening [ the enervated condition of the high ;hooI instruction throughout the ru- Il districts and the smaller towns of lird grade certificate teachers shail 3 limited to teaching in the common ;hools and that high schools shall be lught only by such teachers as have rst grade licenses.
 A Legislative Problem.
 The Legislature as you know has -ovided for County. Board of. Edu- Ie schools of their County. I am of Ie opinion that the County Boards. lder the existing law has the right l Id power to provide for and regulate gh schools. I think that 1t Is with
 their power to say that high school struction shall be given only by the ,lders of a first grade license and at the teachers with second and third ! , 'ade licenses shall teach only In the mmon schools. The County Boards fight in this way provide for distinct
 high school instruction, and the eparation for college. "Perhaps the time is not ripe for the , )unty Board to take such steps. It ould probably mean a tuition charge r high school instruction under exist z conditions. Until the very satis- ctory advance that Alabama Is mak- { g afon0 educational ways has pro- | q