Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-11-26
#isesllaueuas 8eading.
MORE EFFICIENT TEACHERS.
Superintendent Swearingen Advocates
State Board of Examiners.


State Board Of Examiners.
Columbia, November 22.-In hi
forthcoming annual report to the leg
is.ature, State Superintendent Of Edu'
cation Swearingen will make ples
for increased preparation and efflcien'
cy in the body Of teachers Of the state
Some very valuable suggestions ant
recommendations are made under ths
head Of examination and certif1catior
of teachers.
It Is pointed out in the report thai
mach dissatisfaction exists Throughout
the state with the present system ol
examining teachers by counties.
In reference to the county boards Of
education, the superintendent points
out that in several counties Of the
state not one Of the three members OF
the board Is an active teacher and
that some boards are confessedly una.
BILE to handle the subjects treated In
the examination questions, which are
prepared by the state board Of educa-
ton. 1.-The travesty on teaching
continues the report thus occasion
ed would not be tolerated in any Other
calling"
| AS to the present standard the re-
port says: 1.-The widespread belief
that the present standard is high ID
not founded on fact"
The following is the report:
Examination and certifieation Of
| Teachers.
"The. time is ripe for a step forward
in our method of examination and GER
tification Of teachers. No need Is al
present more pressing than this need
Of improving our teaching resources
and facilities. AS has already been
indicated, the educational advance OF
the last decade was largely brought
about by the great impulse given To
the teachers Of the state by the for
mer state summer school. The progress
recently made in establishing high
schools, in elevating college standards
and in increasing the efficiency Of ru-
raj schools can be maintained only by
increased preparation and efficiency In
the body Of teachers behind the desk.
Much dissatisfaction exists through
out the state with our present system
of examining teachers by counties
These examinations now occur twice
year, on the first Friday in May and
the first Friday in October, respective
ly. Uniform questions are prepared by
the state board Of education and sent
to the various county superintendent
by it's secretary. The county board OF
education of each county conduct all
examinations, grade all papers, Judge
the moral fitness Of all applicants and
issue all certificates. These certifi-
Gates entitle the holders to teach in
any of the free public schools Of the
county, are valid for two years and
may, under certain conditions, be re-
newed by the board issuing them
They represent, or should represent, a
fair working knowledge Of the ordi-
nary public school branches. They, at
present, make no distinction between
elementary, grammar school or high
school subjects and afford no recogni-
tion Of special training in any depart.
ment of school work.
This system was devised to serve
two ends-to establish a uniform
standard for the state, and to meet
local conditions in each county. The
supposed uniformity resulting from II
Is a beautiful fiction. The character
Of any examination is determined by
the examiners rather thar by the
questions. "As many men, rs many
minds" is a proverb no less applicable
to teachers examinations than to 9TH
er conditions and situations. Some
county boards adhere rigidly to the
standard; others prefer to set up To-
cal standards Of their own. Some Is
sue certificates to every applicant; 9TH
ers pass none but the competent and
deserving Some hold extra special
examinations, whenever they deem
these advisable, use wha tever ques-
tions they wish and thus issue ceri-
Yates at will. Some give first grade
certificate to every negro applicant,
seemingly for no better reason than to
relieve the board Of the trudgery of
deciphering and attempting to grade a
mass of rubbish. Some issue certif1-
Gates to local favorites employed by
district trustees, without requiring
even the form Of an examination.
Some recognize all sorts and classes
of diplomas and certificates secured
in other states, though the South Car
olina law makes no provision for such
action.
Membership of County Board Of Edu-
| cation.
In several counties the membership
of the board of education shows that
not one Of the three members is an
active teacher doing actual school room
work. Some boards do not even con-
tain a member recently engaged In
| teaching. Yet, the examination Is In
every case supposed to be practical
test Of the applicants technical knowl-
edge and qualification to teach. Some
boards are confessedly unable to han
die the subjects treated In the exam
ination questions prepare, by the
state board of education. This Is by no
means a general or representative con-
dition, but the system is no stronger
than it's weakest point.
The travesty on teaching thus oc-
casioned would not be tolerated in any
other calling. Some slight excuse for
its existence might have been given
three or four decades ago, when our
state colleges were closed, when our
few denominational colleges were still
weak and struggling. and wnen our
facilities for teacher training were al
| together inadequate. But this excuse
no longer avails, and the time has come
for its abandonment. Though the
children are unable to protest and pro-
tect themselves against It's continu-
ance, their silence and helplessness is
the most eloquent plea for their pro-
lection. The incompetent teacher has
no place in the school room, and de-
serves neither pity nor consideration.