Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1908-09-23

1 1,uUUr mdu lSdcn SCUCOl 1OI PCUo.
Jimply because .he. has Sense enough
20 teach a sschooE Today in South
Caro-; Ia any competent man teacher.
| Of two years experience can get a
nine-months school at from $75 to
Sl06 month: School boards are ad-'
vertisihg for. such. Why:sshould I
be willing TO teach your school for
500 or $50 month for less than nine
1months?. When corn is selling IN the
open market at ore dollar a bushel,
will ]. offer mine at sixty centss.-if
lit is marketable? Does the school
board hunting cheap teacher catch
the maning7
However, there are: :other and more
serious reasons why2we have SO many
incompetent teachers. There is the
daughter of the. local. trustee who
.uaust ssfaSe: sEnas S$sttfRSs sss6aeks Fund
WITH which to- BfhY hsf cloth What!
difference does it make if she has had
f'lo otheg ed1rsRtn tnhsthan that which
SIZE. received III hessyery school She
is goingt.to Try t5Atsaehq What diff
ference does it make. If she knows
no aore than some of her most adj
vanced pupils What difference does
it make if she .neyer.saw an educa-
.tioaaT jouInetsogsa .b5Sls. On the.sart
Of 4 Teachings What difference does
lit make if she. lis but eighteen years
old, and without a particle aof.sex
periepce in teaching. Oh In life. itself?
Then there. is. poor. widow Smith s
daughter, The mother is. .peor,; and
:hcs daughter. is in poor health, per.
haps. Really the community owes
both something, and the district
school is the easiest charity ito be-
stow. The unedqeatea daughter can a
somehow drag through the srecitations
| and manage to keep the big boysSin-
side the school house. She gets The
school, and the people solace them
selves by thinking, that they have
done g a mighty good thing" Then
again, there is Mrs; Brown, 70 years
old. mo oneSevera accused her of be-
ling edueated, or In any other sway
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, remarking that "She is a
mighty good teacher; III went to
school to her forty years-ago intact,
she larnt me- about all / ever was
larnt." Mrs. Brown keeps the school
house open most of the time for siLx
months, draws $3.50 of the defense
less children's money, and the com
munity feels tranquil over its act tY
pious gratitude. IShope that Lam
not misunderstood in this last e4-
ample. I am glad to knew that some
teachers ct seventy years. Of age, ed
aeated, and vigorous, are able Fo de
lseHeefiiRe gyens In the common
| Schools Old age and misfortuna
I.shanh be CRATE fully remembered and
cared for, but not at heaexpense of
| the Education of our children. Pen
sions should .'be paid outside the
school; house, .not.sinside. s.
There is. yet a. more serious reat
son for the presence. Of so many In
competent teqchers-hare serious, be-
cause they are under the sanction of
law. Hundreds Of incompetent teach
ers are in our schools because of tie
vicious system by which certificates
are granted and renewed. 4 disclaim
any intention whatever Of casting
any reflection against any set of per-
sons, but. under the present system
we need not hope to get rid: Of in
efficiency among our teachers of the
common schools. Let us face the
facts: Teachers certificates ] are
granted blythe county boaMs of edu-
cation, composed of the:coshty super
intendent and tvo laysmembers ap-
pointed by the State superintendent
upon the recommendation: of the
county superintendent. 1.-THE county
|superintendents must 60 every two
years to ask the people TO vote for
them-~ Many of, tbsrpeople .who help
TO elect, the supeuntendents expect
la. return of .fayors. These superln-
tendents must sit in. judgment upon
the efficiency of applicants to teach
school: !. Who are some of these Jap
phcantsa.. Sons and daughters, broth
ers :and: sisters, of the men who help
ed to, elect the county superintendent.
Now, it would be an insult to init
mate that. any honest county super
intendent would violate his honor by
granting Intentionally an unmerited
certificate, but it requires sagacity to
sea the unenviable situation of the
superintendent in such contingency,
He oughtsto-be :relieved of any such
embarrassment.
Many claim that good teachers ARE
assured by accepting the diplomas
of reputable colleges in lieu of iex-
aminations. This plan is faulty. In
our. section Of ,sthe.. country the term
college has no definite meaning; there
is nothing by which one college can
be legally differentiated from an
other Therefore, all college gradu-
ates are accepted in the schools on
equal terms. 1t is fact well known
to all educators that a person may
in the course of ten years not only
fail to improve as teaching grows
better; but actually grow inferior
Besides, some college courses offer
teacher training, some claim to do so
while others make no claim at all
Yet another defect must be taken
into5 account: A student with very
poor preparation may 60 through 4
fairly reputable college, taking ONLY
academic Qwork, only to find himself
lamentably ignorant of the common
schopE subjects which he is required
to teach. The best colleges and the
pupils FROM fT9m the fa best ssh sGfges f are ne
| &Sa,nc' 20. {oaoborc, certificates