Riley County Educator from Manhattan, Kansas • 2

Riley County Educator. C. G. SWINGLE, Editor. MANHATTAN, KANSAS, MAY, 1893.

Subscription, 25 cts. per year. DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. ISSUED MONTHLY FROM THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. Entered at the Postoffice at Manhattan, Kansas, as second class matter.

ADVERTISING- RATES: 1 inch space, per annum 6 00 2 Inch 6pace, per annum 10 00 3 inch space, per annum 12 00 HOW OUR NORMAL INSTITUTES ARK SUPPORTED. We believe that comparatively few understand what are the sources of revenue of normal institutes and a9 this, as well as all other disbursements of public money, should be of public interest, we will state briefly that all money paid as fees for teachers' certificates or for enrollment in the institute goes into what is known as tho normal institute fund. To this is added $50 from the state treasury provided the enrollment is not less than fifty, and the ccunty commissioners are also authorized to appropriate not more than $100 in any one year. It is needless to add that in small counties like Riley it requires skillful management to secure the right kind of instructors and pay all the incidental expensos from tho amount available from these sources. Some of the teachers who took the examination at Randolph feel disposed to find fault with the questions prepared by the state board.

Except that the third question in arithmetic seems to belong in physics and several of those in constitution are really on civil law, it would seem that there is no just cause for complaint. No doubt the fact that under the new law several new members have been added to the state board, also that there has been a general rearrangement of subjects has had much to do with the apparent trouble. We are sometimes inclined to think that teachers do too much studving what questions are likely to be asked and too little thorough studying of the various subjects so that they may be prepared for any examination. We hope that the fault-finding, which by the way is not confined to Riley county, will not prevent our Striker from preparing questions for coming examinations which will be fair tests of the knowledge and ability of applicants. At the recent meeting of the county board of examiners two second grade and nine third-grade certificates were issued.

It was also decided that in the future certificates would not be issued to persons under seventeen years of age. That pupils failed to pass the recent common school examination is no proof that they are not bright nor that their teachers have not been doing good work. It simply indicates that the pupils are not quite ready to leave the district school. We are glad to learn that some of those who passed proposo to attend another year. Teacheis who propose to attend the institute will be interested to know that Supts.

Gray and Knipo have each been re-elected to their respective positions at increased salaries. Supt. Kendrick who is well known to many of the Riley county teachers has been elected superintendent of the Junction City schools in place of Supt. Mallory who was not a candidate for re-election. COMMON SCHOOL GRADUATES.

There were 05 applicants for common school diplomas at the recent examinations and 24 succeeded in pulling through. While the board of examiners were unanimously of the opinion that our pupils are leaving the common schools too early for their own good and that our schools ought to prepare those who finish the course to answer at least 80 per cent of such questions as were asked at this examination, still it was thought best not to make too radical and sudden a change, so the required grades were left as they were last year, average 75 per cent, minimum, CO per cent. That a considerable change has been made is shown from the fact that notwithstanding the cdvice that has been given in season and out of season by the Superintendent, that pupils should wait until they were sure they had a thorough knowledge of the various branches before taking the examination, still nearly two-thirds of the applicants failed, while last year out of 87 applicants, 50 were granted diplomas. Of course it would be much pleasanter to issue more diplomas, but we believe it would be, in nearly every case, doing a positive injury to the pupils. The names of the graduates aud the places and dates of holding the exercises are as follows, though some change may be made in tho arrangements indicated: RANDOLPH, MAY 23.

Emma L. Fryhofer, District No. 10. Nellie Heath, District No, 9. Anna Heller, District No.

10. Bertha Lamb, District No. 0. Lena Specht, District No 9. Otto Sump, District No.

9. Nancy M. Underwood, District No. 21. MAYDAY, MAY 24.

Hulda Backland, District No. 47. Stella Droll, District No. 28. Harry B.

Giles, District No. 49. Anna Larson, District No. 28. Ada Osborne, District No.

2S. Ida Powell. District No. 40. RILEY, MAY 2(5.

Melvia Avery, District No. Jfc. 3. Lucy Bixby, District No. 15.

Jennie Hall, District No. 38. Eva Kneeland, District No. Jt. 3.

Bessie Lock, District No. 15. Ellen Phillips, District No. 50. Mary Phillips, District No.

56. ZEANDALE, MAY 29. Nellie Burtner, District No. 03. George W.

Hunt, District No. 43. Mary G. McCormick, District No. 42.

OGDEN. JUNE 2. Elga Creighton, District No. 74. These exercises will take place in the evening and where the classes are small a full program will be arranged.

It is hope that the people in the different localities will manifest their interest in the work the young people are doing, by turning out. We wish to thank in advance the teachers and friends who are taking hold of the work and thus guaranteeing the success of the various programs. If you are not satisfied with your grades in any of the recent examinations instead of finding fault with the oxaminers come into the office and see where and why you were graded down. Parents who desire to cultivate in their children a taste for good literature can hardly do better than to subscribe for the Youth's Companion. The Columbian extra recently issued with its superb illustrations is the next thing to a visit to the World's Fair.

We Sell You Can Rely on the 'Some of the districts of Riley county are in the habit of re employing their old teachers so long as they are satisfied and are doing good work. We believe this is a most commendable plan and would be glad if it were the rule. If you get a poor teacher you can't get rid of him too quick. On the mother hand if you have a real teacher the "chances are that you will lose by a change. Even if you should get another equally gaod at the same terms, you would still be the losers for it will take some time for the second teacher to become acquainted with the peculiarities and advancement of the pupils and he is a remarkable person if during the time he is learning these things he does not make some blunders which are difficulty to rectify.

The Review of Reviews is eminently the magazine for the student, teacher, or person of whatever occupation, who desires to keep -abreast of the times and who lacks either the jtime or money for a number of expensive jperiodicals. It contains them all in a nut-shell. The May number has, all told, about one shundred illustrations. They pertain to the 'World's Fair, to the naval review, to the Flag-raising on the Navesink Highlands, of April 25, and the casting of the Liberty Bell on May 1st, at Troy, to the reception in New York of the Duke of Veragua, the lineal descendant of Christopher Columbus; to Mr, Cleveland's various important appointees, including perhaps a dozen of the most important new foreign ministers and the principal commissioners. and, chiefs of bureaus.

AT MARSH'S..