merit, thorough knowledge of the com mon school branches has not been ob tained. As a consequence, while our pu pils in the common schools secure a smattering of music, drawing, physiolo gy, ect., they get nothing like a sound, thorough knowledge, even of elements of arithmatic, reading and english grammar. This deficiency in the elementary branches cripples the work of all higher institutions of learn ing and makes it necessary for them to maintain departments for doing the very work the common schools were intend ed to do. Nothing better need be ex pected until the teacher is more- thor oughly educated himself, and the first duty of every common school be, now and always, to give a sound elementary education to all its pupils. Just how to secure thoroughly com petent teachers is not an easy problem to solve. The following, suggestions would, it seems to the writer, tend to bring about such a result: i. Put a premium on broad, com prehensive scholarship by admitting to all the privileges of the profession of teaching those who have graduated in a four years college course. At present college graduates may be elected as professors in Normal schools or as county superintendents, but.if they wish to teach the most insignificant common school in the state they must first sub- mit to an examination, in nine cases out of ten, conducted by one who is far in- THE FREE LANCE. ferior to them in intellectual attainment and in qualification, for teaching. All that is necessary now to have full and permanent right to teach in any public school of the .state is to produce a di ploma from a Normal school. It may indicate only a few months of applica tion and study, but .the owner of the diploma has associated with the profes sion, has breathed the air of superficial attainments and he is therefore fully equipped to enter any school room and instruct the youth of the state. 2. Establish a chair of pedagogics in all our colleges and wherever practi cable secure aid from the state to found libraries well supplied with such litera ture as will be most useful to teachers. 3. Organize a summer school or two in the state where teachers who cannot possibly attend college and yet desire to increase their knowledge of the different sciences and arts may ob tain the benefit of lectures and that guidance which can be given by taking with such instruction a .course in read ing and study prescribed byithe college authorities. 4. If Normal schools are not en tirely abolished—lay down a uniform standard of admission and make quality and not number of graduates the aim of their existence and the mark of their success. 5. Restrict the Normal diploma and make it serviceable only for certain grades and then lay special stress on preparing for this special work.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers