The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-10-26
EARS BURN As
TEACHERS
TALK
Examination System Severely
Roasted by Indignant
Pedagogues.
oUIZZES ARE AN INDlGNITY
They FRAGILE Instructors Nerves
and the Results Are
Worthless.
oUIzzES ARE AN INDlGNITY
(From Saturdays Advertiser

If II be really true that one ears |
burn when someone else is talking |
about him, the left ear being particu. |
larry affected when the remarks being
made are of a caustic or unfriendly
nature, then the ears of the superin-
tendent of public instruction and of the
commissioners of education must have
been a fiery red last night. For things
were being said about the individuals
mentioned, and the things said were by
no means of an admiring nature More
over, those who were saying them were
not simply disinterested knockers, but
the teachers of the public schools of
Honolulu and instructors in some Of
the other educational institutions of
the city. Mr.. Rabbit nor any member
of the board was mentioned by name,
nor were the inspectors, but there was
no question as to who was meant.
1t was at the second meeting of the
teachers association of Honolulu, and
the subject up for discussion was teach
ers' examinations, their use and ad-
visibility. Nobody expressed any ad-
miration for them, nor could any of the
teachers who spoke on the subject see
either the use or ACCESSIBILITY of them.
on tne contrary.
Merely an Indignity.
''To subject to an examination man
or woman, in many instances naturally
timid when it comes to taking an ex-
animation upon which depends his or
her bread and butter, is in the nature
of an indignty,'' said p. L. Horne,
president of the Kamehameha Schools,
in the course of a vigorous condemna-
ton of the entire method of selection.
~ never took an examination in my
life,'' said President Horne, "and L
have never given one to teacher. /
do not consider that the efficiency of
teacher can be judged from the re-
suits of an examination.
''For the teacher of service who is
doing satisfactory work to be required
to take an examination to show that
she is qualified for the position, is I'M
Just. The only kind of an examination
to- which any teacher ought to be sub
.iected is to have the examiner go into
her school room and remain there
watching her work long enough to see
what kind of work she is doing.
Truth Is Best.
at think the best thing to do is to
use care in selecting teachers, and if
at any time it appears that one is not
going to make a good teacher, tell him
or her so frankly after a fair trial, and
not get rid of them by elimination
after an examination which the most
experienced of us would hesitate to
take.'
A Pedagogic Groan.
That President Horne had expressed
the sentiment of the rest of the teach.
ers was attested by the enthusiastic
applause which followed his address
and which was conspicuously lacking
when Inspector Cox attempted in q
desultory fashion to excuse the system
of examinations. In fact, Mr.. Cox 4
appearance on the floor to speak was
greeted with what, had the audience
not been composed mostly of school
ma 'ams, might have been taken for 6
faint but unmistakable groan. But
being schoolma ANS, of course, il
could not have been groan. No, in
deed. The very ideal
Time to Call a Halt.
No less vigorous than President
Horne remarks were those made by
w. A. Bowen, whose interest in tn,
cause of education drew him to tn,
meeting. "'Teachers' examinations
said Mr.. Bowen, 'have become
grind, an annoyance, an evaporation
a destructive force to teachers nerves
1t is time to call halt. These exam
nations are gripping the ability of tn,
teachers to do the most effective worl
that We require of them"
Teddy Too Swift.
Mr., Bowen also expressed the opin
ion that too much work is being re
quired, not only of teachers, but alst
of pupils. awe all have a great ad
miration for the strenuosity of ex
President Roosevelt he said, "but
very much fear that the pace set b,
Theodore Roosevelt is going to b.
damaging to the youth of the coun
try
Teachers as Assets.
Mr.. Bowen said that the teacher
are one of the country's assets, ant
the teachers as assets must be con
served.
Professor Scott told at length of tn
growth of the teachers examination
system Mr.. harrington endorsed tn
sentiments expressed by other teach
ers and told two stories Mr.. Nc
Caughey expressed the opinion that tn
work already done by teache
should be taken into account. Pro
fessor Donaghho said that there is n,
possibility by means of an examina
ton of forming an opinion as to tn
efficiency of a teacher
The remarks of all those who de
nounced the system of selecton-o
elimination--by means Of examination
We're heartily appiauded by the larg
number OF teachers who were presen