Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-03-12
WHAT PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS ARE
EXPECTED TO KNOW.
Fads and Fancies Galore.

selves against what have been defined as
'fads" in the courses of study of she pub
lio school system believe they have been
provided with food for criticism along these
lines in the list Of questions prepared by
the State Board of Education for the exam
ination of candidates for county teachers
licenses, who presented themselves for the
stated tests.
The rules and regulations Of the State
board provide that there shall be three
examinations for county teachers certif-
Gates each year, on the first Friday and
Saturday in October, February and May,
respectfully. The rules also state what
subjects the candidates shall be examined
in, respectively, for the third, second and
first grade certificates. The subjects pre-
scribed for the first days work for the
candidates are in conformity with the
generally accepted notions as to what a
teacher should be fully qualified in, as they
include arithmetic, geography, penman-
ship, orthograpby, grammar and reading.
The subsequent test, particularly those
prepared for candidates taking special ex-
aminations, indicate, according to the
questions prepared for the most recent
county examinations, that fitness to teach
ia the public schools, in the Judgment of
the State educational department., re-
quires erudition of the most pronounced
and varied sort, and an intimate famil-
iarity with about all there is in the arts,
sciences, crafts and cults, together with a
knowledge Of engineering, stock specu-
lation, lawyers customs, fuanciering,
composition, architecture, craftsmanship,
sanitation, medicine and score, of other
things.
Attention has been called in this con-
nection to some of the questions put to
candidates at the recent examinations
Those in physiology included the follow
ing
Describe the ball and socket joint.
Where found in the body
"What relation does the mosquito bear
to disease?
"what is safe method Of disposing of
garbage ?''
HOW ABOUT THIS ONE?
Among the questions put to the candi-
date in physics were:-
s'Give two reasons why il is harder to
start heavy load on hard road than to
keep it going after it is started ?'
''If gas flame is 300 centimeters from
the screen Of a Rumford photometer, and
a standard candle fifty eentimeters away
gives shadow of equal intensity, what is
the candle power of the gas flame p
In order to qualify in the study of
Business Practice" the candidate was re-
quired to answer ten questions, of which
these were some:-
''How would you purchase any listed
stock Describe fully the transaction.
How would you proceed to open gro
Gerry store Give complete details.
''What should be a lawyers business
methods What books should he keep?
"How would you borrow money TO build
house from a building and loan society
How many lines of business are involv-
ed in the business of a house ?" No partic-
ular kind or character of house is sug-
gessed.
The test in agriculture, it was stated,
was not obligatory, but credit would be
allowed those who dared answer correctly
such questions as these:-
Define the terms osmose, organic mat
ear tiltono Wit of do
DRAW q cross section of an underdrain.
How should such drains run in reference to
the slopes?
''Give typical rotation of crops for your
locality.
would sixty bushels of shelled corn take
from the soil
What is meant by commercial fertil-
izer ?''
''Shew by diagram how YOU would
lengthen the legs of a table,, and dis
tinguIsh between rag, ingram and Brussels
carpet" are some Of the queries piled to
the luckless aspirant who essayed TO quail
ify on the subject Of Home Economies /"
Other equally terrifying questions were
these -
Draw plans for first and second floors Of
a house to accommodate six people.
'sSketch an entrance suitable for la
boring mans home
Name the materials that enter into the
construction OF a house.
Give essentials in bedroom furniture
and furnishings.
"Glve general plan to be followed in
caring for house,
In addition to the six ordinary branches
of study comprising the FIRST days tests,
the candidates for first grade certificates are
required to take examinations in theory
and practise of teaching, school law Of New
Jersey, history of education, algebra, CIV
les, physics, general history and plane
geometry. It is the applicants for special
certificates who take the tests in such sub
iects as music, drawing, manual training,
astronomy, agriculture and other SUBJECTS
not prescribed in the requirements for
- n