Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-12-16
LETTERS
ABOUT THE NORMAL SCHOOL
SYSTEM =.

Editor honolulu Star Bullt tin. =. H.
Sir: Mr.. H. W Kinney, in re-
cent letter addressed 10 the president
Of the College Club and printed in the
newspapers OF December 8, discusses
the local Normal school in compari-
son VITA the I'VE Of normal school
that is coming TO be general on the
mainland. He Gays: " =. l.. .-........ /.
Last years list of certifiCated
teachers who had fallen below the
standard of so per cent numbered u
graduates of the local Normal school
and II teachers who had received their
training in mainland institutions"
II Immediately comes TO the mind OF
the reader of this paragraph that Mr..
Kinney in no way indicates the sizes
Of the Two groups in which he notes
respectively I2 md IL failures. but in
view OF the context probably very few
readers not already informed on the
subject would doubt that Mr. kinney'S
figures represent fair comparison
of graduates of local Normal schools
with graduates Of mainland Normal
schools. And Yet an examination or
the latest published report of the SUI
perinten1ent of public instruction will
make 1t pretty evident that this cannot
by any means be the case The report
shows {pages Si-112) that of 100 pub
lie school teachers OF the territory
127 were graduates OF the local Nor
NAL school AMI IS were graduates OF
mainland Normal schools. or these
33 graduates OF mainland Normal
schools eight had been advanced to
positions commanding salaries OF $1,000
or over, and so may be adjudged by
their records TO have been success
full. This reduces the number under
consideration to 25. But of these 20
nine are graduates Of California Nor
NAL SCHOOLS, tyre of teacher that Mr.
Kinney has characterized US being
immensely VARIABLE" saying that he
feels quite sure the department of
public instruction car do no better
in the future Ihan to select the teach
ers which it needs, in addition to those
locally trained, from the California
schools. " - -. ~. +.
If, now, we except these nine who
have Ton from Mr. Kinney warm
words Of we'll merited approval We
come down to the fact that % minus
equals 16. The absurdity of look
ing for "A failures among any group
of 16 teachers that could receive ap-
INSTRUCT IN is obvious enough without
the further consideration that the 10
names ;Eclude the names of several
who have served in, the schools SO
many wears that their regulations are
fully esta blished. r..
OF course, the figures cannot mean
what Mr.. Kinney seems to say. Wheth-
er, in mis- eagerness to make out a
strong case in favor of the graduates
of the local Normal school with the
II failures, Mr.. Kinney has counted
into thu opposed camp of the mainland
Normal schools q considerable num-
Der of teachers who are without such
professional training tits perhaps not
profitable to conjecture. 1t would be
interesting to know Show large the
group really is out Of which the IA
failures we're picked. and upon what
basis it was chosen for comparison.
AS the statement stands it does an
injustice both to mainland Normal
schools and to such Of their graduates
as are now serving in the public
schools H.
To be constantly conscious of he
ing rlalihini is bearable; to suffer
discrimination in the matter of pay
gives indeed some small sense of
slight; out to be accounted failures in
anything like a ratio Of 16 to would
be enough TO cr.ish the spirit o. even
Normal school graduate.
Very respectfully, - l..
ONE-TlME MALIHINI TEACHER.