The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-11-27

APPEARANCES would seem to indicate |
that it will not be long before one of those
oldtime educational affairs will pass out |
of sight. At recent meeting of the
educational authorities it was decided to
hereafter hold County Teachers Institutes
on Saturday instead of the middle of the
week as has been the custom. The reason
for this is that the present system inter-
feres with school duties, vacation of two
DAYS being required in the majority of the
counties Now teachers are required to
attend the sessions, but as the new rule
will have the meetings on a day when
school is not in session it is to be optional
with the teacher whether she will or will
not attend and we venture the assertion
that the audience will not be half as large
as heretofore. At the meeting which was
held 10 Burlington recently this propo
sition Of holding the Institute on Saturday
was put to vote and there were $50 ballots
against the idea and eight In favor. This
would indicate that so far as Burlington
county is concerned there will not be any
rush to attend. And no great harm will
result If such should be the case. There
are many things that the educational
authorities might do that would aid the
cause more than the holding of Institutes
does There might be system inau-
gurated that will allow schools to Sc
cure competent teachers without going
through SO much red tape. The state law
requires teachers to take examinations and
get certain percentage of results before
being qualified to take school, After
trying for some time to get teacher from
the ranks of applicants in this state. and
after visiting several recommended by the
Normal School authorities Mount Holly
was compelled to go to New York state
for teacher. A young lady was elected
who not only h ad high grade New York
certificate, but she had also what is known
as a Regents certificate. which is con-
sidered very valuable. But that does not
satisfy New Jersey and the young lady,
with marks as high as this state can give
her must go through an examination in
this county. But another instance far
more nonsensical is that of another teach
er who, notwithstanding she has first
grade county certificate issued by county
right in this state, with the high averages
required to obtain such a paper. is pro-
nounced unqualified to teach in another
county in the same state until she has
taken an examination in the latter county
Yet, it must be remembered that this rule
does not apply to teachers graduated from
the Normal School. Once they get from
its portals they are qualified to teach with
out the trouble of further examinations.
Note the difference. Nongraduates must.
room, be continually preparing for exam
nations. while the graduate can rest con.
tent and secure. There might not be OBJ
lection to this if the graduates were
always ready to take positions, but they
are not. Not long since in an endeavor to
get teacher to aid in an emergency the
reply from persons applied to was that
they were afraid to try because of defici-
ency in mathematics which subject they
said, was not given the attention it should
receive at the state institution. and in
another case cited above not candidate
could be found to take commercial classes
because of feeling of insecurity. II
schools are compelled to observe the law
and stay in New Jersey for teachers then
the law should be so framed as to fit
teachers for the studies that advance
ments inbusness and other circles require.