The Wrangell sentinel., 1930-02-20

were it in Alaska.
 We have raised our qualifica- tions required for teachers cer- tificate. It would give those teach CTS who do not qualify, but who have been in the service, an oppor- tunity of gaining those qualifica- tions. It would serve as a stimu- Jus to our teaching force.
 Greater emphasis needs to be put upon health instruction in the schools. But to properly do so, the teaching force shall need to master methods of carrying on this branch of our education.
 Our teachers, because the major ity are from the States and do not gain fully the knowledge necessary while here, are not capable of pre- senting to his or her pupils, the study of Alaska, it's history, it's geography, its industries, etc., to the extent to which it might be given. This is a subject which must be improved upon if we are to teach home geography as the future citi- zens of Alaska should know it. A proper course on Alaska could well be given to our teachers at the sum mer school. We have the informa- tion at hand.
 Now, one might ask, how is this to be carried out? I might suggest that it could be carried out through the Alaska College, though there are other methods. But you might say, "It is too far removed from some sections of the Territory" This could be remedied by holding summer school in, say Southeast ern Alaska one summer and then in the Interior the next, or they might be run concurrently. There are suitable accommodations available and greater use would result of the college plant. Sitka could we'll, with it's historical background, be the center for such a school in Southeastern Alaska. Places con venient for all could be found.
 The cost of running such an in- stitution could be kept to the mini mum by using a minimum number of instructors. We could use the in- structor in charge of the education al work of the college. We have available in the territory people now engaged in educational work, who are qualified to instruct. We have available people amply quali- fled to present a course on Alaska to the teachers. We should use, as instructors, those who are famil- far with our problems. We could well bring in from the States some one to present to us some phases of education with which all should be familiar. The fact that we have available, within our borders, per sons capable of acting instructors, would tend to keep the cost to a minimum.
 Are there teachers enough to jus tify it? There are. At present there are approximately 50 instructors in the Parochial and Mission schools, 2O4 in the Bureau schools, and 254 in the Territorial schools. This should give us a source of 800 teachers from which to draw our students for a summer school.
 Some schools now request their teachers to attend school at stated intervals. And to give the children the best possible teaching, all teach CTS should be encouraged to do so. Our certification laws now permit the granting of Life Certificates upon completion of five years of teaching Gin the Territory and one year of advanced study. The advanced study could be gotten through our own summer schools then. It is the aim of the Depart ment of Education that renewals of certificates be granted upon sue cessful teaching experience and further study. Again the summer school would fill our needs.
 It is quite likely that credit earned at the summer school could apply toward the completion of the teachers training course at the Alaska College. If worked in con function with the college there might be a tendency to increase the teacher training department Of the college and at the same time give the teacher in service an op- portunity to increase his or her ef- ficiency and be of greater worth to the school system.
 Then we might develop ntIle
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