Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1911-02-01
EFFICIENCY IN
PUBLIC SCHOOL
Territorial Teachers ASsoCia-
ton Hears Plans For
Betterment.

Plans for the betterment of the
school system were discussed last
night at IA meeting of the Territorial
Teachers Association held at Mckin-
ley High School The three speakers
| of the evening were w. r. Harrington,
. chairman of the school fund commits
sion; Principal Perley l.. Horne OF ka-
mehameha Schools and DR.. Doremus
Scudder.
! Mr. Harrington devoted the greater
portion of his time to a detailed expa-
nation of the terms of the bill framed
! by the commission. He stated that
with all concerned working with the
best of Intentions, bin had been
framed placing the control of the
school buildings in the hands of the
/ Territory. This was not the purpose
! of the commission and, furthermore,
! he did not believe it possible to put
such a plank through the Legislature.
J 1t had all been due to misunder-
! standing between the laymen of the
commission and the legal authorities
/ who had given the subject volunteer
! time and attention. The plan OF the
commission is to place the school con-
| struction and care of school buildings
in the charge of the counties. the Leg
| islature taking only such action as will
! insure that the money shall be spent
on the schools. With some counties
! A.. ,l.I
| while with others it might be.
Facts and figures that have already
| been published We're presented. FL
nally, Mr.. harrington remarked that
! probably what the teachers wanted to
| know was what they should do about
| it. They knew from personal contact
more about the conditions in the
schools than the commission possibly.
| He called their attention to the fact
/ that the Republican members of the
Legislature We're pledged to making the
public schools first claim upon the
revenues of the Territory. He hoped
there would be no division in the Leg
| islature of the platform Republicans"
who would keep their promises and the
others Everything he thought prom
Used well for the public schools, but
it was proper for the teachers when
ever opportunity offered to use their
influence towards securing prompt full
hllment of party promises, That would
gain the great point needed to place
| 49,, !, 4 1,,,
Mr. Horne said in part:
THE final test Of efficiency is in the
teachers themselves. Those determined
to give of their best every day will
reap results. A teacher must study,
must read extensively or get into a
rut. Most who are preparing TO teach
follow fairly comprehensive course
of reading. Many drop reading after
the real work of teaching begins 1t
has been said that so per cent. of
/ teachers cease to read Systematically
after they have once been thoroughly
installed as teachers. If this is so,
then there can be no question that the
surest means to secure efficiency in
! teaching is neglected.
And if this is 50, the reasons may
he the fault of the teacher or the fault
of the condition under which she
teaches. If she is required to teach
fifty to sixty pupils in Il grade, with
all the outside work naturally result
ing, we can hardly blame her if she
finds little time for systematic reading
for self Improvement But if favor
able conditions exist and the teacher
fails to give her time to self-improVe-
ment. she certainly is counting failure.
But teachers must have a chance to
grow. They must be given time to
read and to investigate educational