The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-09-16

months? When corn is selling in the
open market at one dollar hushel.
will 7 offer mine at sixty cents-if
Il is marketable Does the school
board hunting cheap teacher catch
.rhc meaning?
However, there are other and more
serious reasons why we have so many
incompetent teachers. There is the
daughter OF the local trustee who
must have some Of the school fund
with which to buy her clothes. What
difference does it make II she has
had no other education than that
which she received in the very school
she is going to try to teach? What
difference does it make il she knows
no more than some of her most ad-
vanced pupils? What difference does
it make if she never saw an educa-
rional journal or book on the art
of teaching? What difference does
lit make if she is but eighteen years
old, and without practicle Of eX-
perience in teaching or III life itself?
Then. there is poor widow Smith $
daughter. The mother is poor and
the daughter is in poor health, per-
haps. Really the community owes
both something. and the district
school is the easiest charity to be-
TOW. The uneducated daughter can
somehow drag through the recita-
lions, and manage to keep the big
bows inside the school house. She
get the school, and the people solace
themselves by thinking that they
have done "a might good thing.
Then. again. there is airs. Brown, 70
wears old. No one ever accused her OF
being educated. or in any other way
of being fitted to teach school, but
she taught school just before the
war, or just after the war. Some
enemy to competence advocates her
election, remark:ng that She is g
mighty good teacher:I went to school
to her forty years ago; in fact, she
larnt me about all ever was larnt.
Mrs. Brown keeps the school house
open most Of the time for six months,
draws $3.50 of the defenseless chill
dren's money, and the community
feels tranQual over its act OF
pious gratitude. hope that
am not misunderstood in this last
example I am glad to know that
some teachers at seventy years Of
age, educated and vigorous, are able
to do effective work, even in the COM
mon schools. Old age and misfortune
should be gracefully remembered
and cared for, but not at the ex-
pense Of the education of our chill
6ren. Pensions should be paid out
side the school house, not inside.
There is yet more serious reason
iof so many incompetent teachers
more serious. because they are here
under the sanction of law. Hundreds
Of incompeten: teachers are in our
schools because of the vicious system
by which certificates are granted and
renewed. l disclaim any intention
whatever of casting any reflection
against any set Of persons, but under
! the present system we need not hope
to get rid of ineficiency among our
teachers OF the common schools. Let
us face the facts: Teachers certif-
Gates are granted by the county
boards OF education, composed of the
county superintendent and two lay
members appointed by the State
superintendent upon the recommen-
dation OF the county superintendent.
The county superintendent must go
every two years to ask the people to
vote for him. Many of the people
who help to elect the suDerinten-
ten6eDts expect return Of favcrs.
These superintendents must sit in
Judgment upon the efficiency of ap-
plicants to teach school. We are
some of these applicantso Sons and
daughters, brothers and sisters. Of
men who helped to elect the county
superintendent Now. it would be
an insult to intimate that any honest
county superintendent would violate
his honor by granting Intentionally
an unmerited certificate. but il re-
ouires no sagacity to see the unen-
viable situation OF the superinten-
dent in such contingency. He ought
to be relieved Of auy such embaTasS-
ment.
1t may be appropriate to give the
facts concerning few cases of abuse
in granting certificates. The writer
knows Of more than one teacher that
holds first grade certificate. but
that has never stood any examination
whatever. though not exempt by law.
Another is the case Of teacher hold
ing first grade certificate for over
ten years. but stopped teaching long
enough to let her certificate expire.
Later she returned to teaching, and
on taking the examination failed tc
make grade high enough for any
certificate at all. Question: How
did she get a certificate, and why was
It renewed from year to year with
out examination Some county
boards have made such records for
uprightness in granting certificates
that any other county board feels
safe in renewing one Of the formers
certificates; while few have made
such uenviab!e reputation il grant.
ing these certificates that no other
board is willing to renew certificate
issued by the former. These are un-
ra!atable facts.
Many claim that good teachers are
assured by accepting the diplomas OF
reputable colleges ir lieu o; eNamiaa-
tiors. This plan is faulty. IN our
section Of the country the term col !!
eye has no definite meaning: there
nothing hr which enc college can
,c legal! differentiated from au-
other. Therefore all college sradua
toS o~o ocro,fai II, Tho schools f,n !,