The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-01-04

AT THE meeting of the State Teachers
Association In Atlantic City, last week,
Governor Fort delivered an address which
contained many ideas to be commended
and few to which exception might be
taken. He said few persons have the
opportunity to do the good that school
teachers do. That is quite true. He also
remarked that he would have every child
compelled to make study of the Bible
rather than to stop with the mere reading
of chapter or two at one session of the
school. There is no fault to be found
with this idea. Then he remarked that
he did not approve of having local Boards
of Education having charge of selecting
teachers. He thought they should be
placed under civil service rules and their
credentials passed upon by a central
board, which would be entirely removed
from politics. In part of this we do not
agree with him. Country Boards, as
rule, do not put politics into their deliber.
ations. Teachers, as a general rule, Sc
lected by these bodies. are competent and
give satisfaction. That the applicants
should be graded according to the grades
they seek to fill is all right, but SO sure as
the selection of teachers is relegated to a
Board especially for that purpose there
will be politics galore. The idea. of the
Governor that the hand of the politician
should not be seen in the school board is
right to the point. He referred to the
condition of the schools in his boyhood
days and ventured the opinion that just as
much good was accomplished then by the
apparently slow methods as is now OBJ
tanned by the rushing and "cramming"
process. There are too many books for
the children to pore over and carry home
and bother their drains about. This is
undoubtedly correct. The lessons that
are put upon the school children of to-day
are heavy and onerous, yet it is the fault
OF the higher educational authorities of
the state that such a condition exists.
The High School inspector makes his
visits and insists that certain studies must
be observed in order that the school may
be put upon the approved" list, and that
decision holds. A great modification may
be advantageously made In this respect
There is sound doctrine In some of the
remarks of the Governor, which are given
in substance, as follows:
Have we not too much supervision
with the State Board of Education, state
superintendent, county superintendent.
high school inspectors. supervising prin-
cipals, principals, vice principals, and the
supervisors of various branches Should
not the supervisor be left rather to the
localities than to its being forced by
statute or by powers higher up2 Would
1t not be more desirable if the teachers
were called together, more particularly in
our larger cities, and conferred with and
their opinions obtained and their influence
felti
1.-THE strength of the public school
system is in the teacher and not In the
official that Is over him. Besides interest
ing the teacher as such we must interest
all people. particularly voters. MANY
public school buildings have been built
and large bond issues authorized BIZ very
small percentage of the vote of the school
district. What Is needed is that all citi-
zens shall be quickened in their interest in
public school matters and be brought to
realize that they have duty and part in
relation to the schools.
The moral force In the public schools
should not be forgotten. am one of
those who believe it was mistake to re-
move from the public schools the reading
of the Bible at the opening of every ses-
sion, ard would go farther than that;
would have the children study 1t, not only
on account of the morality it teaches, but
because of the English prose it contains.
The assistance which the children NAV
get along the moral side in intoxicating
right principles is helpful to the right
thinking parent and goes to accentuate
the good lessons which every father and
mother should teach. / doubt if the
parents uphold the influence of the teacher
as they should, and in these bus, times
there Is less of contact between the
teacher and the parent than there used to
be. and than there should be. Healthy
bodies and strong minds are great force
In the public life of our time, but even
more potential influence is the moral in
fiuence which one exerts in the COM
munity."