St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1915-02-12
Is School System Faulty

"
iccts. the intcnsihcation Of the
systems and the greater require.
mcnts 81 the teachers. demand.
cd greater amount Of nervous
energy than any other profess
sion.
His appeal to the teachers was
that they break the monotony
and the routine Of the teaching
profession: that they take suili-
cient exercise 90 counteract the
intense concentration Of facing
30 or 90 pupils for six hours and
in general take care Of themsel-
yes with a view to preventing
the present terrific number Of
cases OF broken health.
A very grave error j. the
constant legislative changes
in educational matters. IL is
now proposed that the public
school system be changed from
a district TO a county unit plan.
The bill provides for the election
of three members of a county
board OF education who are TO
appoint a county superintendent
and with him will employ all
teachers. audit all bills. perform
all work Of school boards. etc.
To adopt this plan is left option
al by vote of electors in county.
The following was taken from
the proceedings of State Teach.
ers' Association in Eugene last
December: Oregon will face a
serious shortage of teachers in
1915 unless high schools Of the
state respond to an appeal for
the installation of teachers
training courses. according to j.
A. Churchill. State School Sup
erintendent. speaking before the
Oregon State Teachers Associa-
tion here today, at which about
700 educators were assembled.
"Oregon needs 1000 teachers
annually. and the State Normal
School does not furnish more
than one-tenth of this number"
he said. land this is in face of
the fact that after September /.
1915, no one, not even a high
school graduate, can be granted
a certificate who has not had an
elementary teachers training
COURSE"
while the course in the high
school cannot give the training
that a standard normal school
gives, il can partially prepare
teachers for their work. and il
can give the training course re.
quired by the new law. Incl.
dentally, il will assist in raising
the standards of the rural
schools"
The ideal school will never.
never be the production of any
one person. IL will be gather
ing of the best in every way.
We realize that we cannot meas
ure intellectual attainments by
means of diplomas and degrees.
There are men who have gone
the whole educational machine
from kindergarten TO University
who are spending their lives un-
der direction of men who have
had only the most meagre oppor-
tunity. in fact are self made
men. Some say the school ques-
tion will never be settled until
the parents take the matter in
charge. and after deciding what
ought 10 be done, state their
conclusions TO the teacher in
charge.
In conclusion. we must bring
the current of education into
narrower bounds. making itI
deeper and stronger instead of
destroying its usefulness by |
spreading IL over vast areas.
A few words of encouragement |
might be offered to the critical. |
Many things contrary to our
own way of thinking are grad
ually changing. Discussion is
the greatest of reformers. The
time is soon coming when the
Bible will be restored TO its
proper place in the school room.
The use of the Bible as a text
book is different from the teach
ing of religion. said Mr.. Thor
iarson, who recommends the
giving actual school credit for
Bible reading out of school hours
If necessary. THE Bible is the
authentic history of a great ma
ton and a clear record of divine
revelation" he said. 1t is liter
lture in itself and il is the great
ley TO literature in general.
DUR great English writings are
'eplete with Biblical illusions
hat remain mere words to those
Who do not study the Bible"
Educators and parents have
United hands in efforts to better
he conditions of school, teacher
md pupil. Mistakes will be
made, but other and better con-
lusions will appear in their 4
tead.
One mother expresses her
in this way: 1T
GEMS very strange TO me that
very new idea that comes along
as to be tried on the children of
he public schools. The latest