The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-08-13

/
serve society or the State, then will
appear the Golden Age. The teacher,
not the millionaire, is the hope OF
the State" Speaking for his COM
mittee President Johnson of Win
throp said at the recent meeting of
the National Educational Association:
The dog-catcher of the city of Wash
ington, d. c., the seat of our Gov
ernment and supposed to be the centre
of enlightenment in this country, re-
ceives salary greater than the av-
erage of the grade teachers of that
city"
While the teachers are far from
being mercenary, we are certainly
forced to the conclusion that one
method Of building a teachers pro-
fession in South Carolina is to make
the salary such as to dignity the call
ing by an adequate compensation.
Again, if teaching is ever to be
made a profession in South Carolina
the standards requisite to becoming
teacher should be made higher As
long as anyone who finishes a we'll or
dercd high school can earn a first
grade certificate and thus become a
teacher in the fullest acceptation of
that word as required by the laws Of
South Carolina; as long as these laws
prescribe an examination that ap-
peals to the memory of a few facts
and not to reason or mature judg-
ment, as longi as there are as many
standards as there are County Boards
Of Education. SO long will the teach
ing profession Of South Carolina be
but name and membership therein
will confer little honor or distinction.
AS long as this condition exists we
have no right to expect that deferen-
tial esteem which teaching in the
abstract demands.
What is the remedy? What is the
specific cure for this particular i'll?
Let this Conference place itself on
record as favoring a Central Board of
Examiners, whose duty it will be to
give such examinations as will test
not only the scholarship, but also the
reasoning ability and maturity of
Judgment of the applicant; whose duty
1t will be to standardize the requisites
for admission into the teachers call
ing; and finally whose duty 1t will
be, while having a minimum require
ment of scholarship in all applicants,
to arrange the examinations in such
way as to test the peculiar aptitude
of the applicant for some special phase
of teaching.
Raise the standards of admission
into the profession, make 1t more diff
cult for one to become a teacher; but.
after he has met the requirements.
do not humiliate him by compelling
him TO stand another examination ev-
cry few years. What would a clergy
man, lawyer, or a physician say, if
the sovereign State of South Caro-
lima should pass a law requiring the
members of these professions to
stand additional examinations every
two years? Why lower the dignity
of the calling that we wish to make
a profession by making this demand
of teachers? There can be no real
ization of the ideal of the profession
of teaching in South Carolina unless
definite measures are taken to elevate
the standards and thus win the defer
entail esteem Of our fellow men.
Our distinguished State Superin-
tendent OF Education and the men,
bers of the State Board of Educa-
ton would welcome a Central Board
of Examiners; for they, perhaps more
keenly than others, realize the great
importance of elevating the standards
of the professior of teaching and
this Board of Examiners would he a
potent means to. very much desir-
ed end.
If the salaries of the teachers are
made adequate and if the admission
requirements are raised, there will re
suit that other condition precedent TO
the building Of teachers profes-
sion in South Carolina-tenure of Of
tce. If one knows that he will have
to possess a definite and broad eouip
ment before he can become a teach
er; If one knows that after he has
passed this test, he will receive q
salary commensurate with his zeal
and ability, he will enter this calling
with serious determination. This de
termination, with the equipment that
Is imperative, will make him one To |
be desired in any communicates |
much desired indeed that the district |