CERTIFICATES FOR TEACHERS 161 teach a good common school, said person shall receive a certificate to that effect from the Principal, to be approved by the Superintendent of public instruction." It seems probable that the intention of this clause of the statute was to make the certificate granted a legal license to teach; but the word legal was not used, and the township inspectors insisted that the holders of such certificates should submit to an examination by them. In accordance with a recommendation of the State Superintendent, the Legislature in 1857 passed an act authorizing the board of instruction of the school to grant to graduates a diploma which, when signed by the Board of Education, would be evidence of the completion of the course of study. This diploma was not itself a legal certificate; but was to be accompanied by a certificate, signed by the board of instruction, which served as a legal license to teach in any of the primary schools of the State until revoked by some proper authority. It will be observed that the certificate was granted by the Faculty of the school and not by the Board of Education. This continued to be the case until 1889. Since that date the certificates as well as the diplomas, are given by the Board of Education. At the present time certificates of two grades, good throughout the State, are granted at the college at Ypsilanti and at the school in Marquette, one valid for five years, the other for life. At the central normal at Mt. Pleasant certificates of two grades are granted, valid for a limited period, and renewable for the same length of time. Probably the certificates from this school will be made uniform with the others at an early day. 162 FROM COLLEGES AND THE UNIVERSITY CERTIFICATES FROM THE COLLEGES. In 1893 a legislative act was passed empowering the Board of Education to grant certificates, without examination, to graduates of such colleges of the State as should comply with certain prescribed conditions in respect to courses of study and instruction. If the graduates have already had three years of successful experience in the schools of the State, the certificate is valid for life. Graduates without previous experience receive certificates valid for four years. At the expiration of that time, if they have taught successfully, they may receive life certificates. CERTIFICATES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN. In 1891 authority was granted by the Legislature, to the Faculty of the department of Literature, Science, and the Arts of the University, to give a legal certificate of qualification to teach in any of the schools of the State, “to every person receiving a bachelor's, master's or doctor's degree, and also a teacher's diploma for work done in the science and art of teaching from said University." CERTIFICATES IN SOME CITIES. "In incorporated cities employing a principal of the high school and also a superintendent of schools, who gives not less than one-half of his time to school supervision, the superintendent of schools and the Board of Education, or a committee thereof, shall be empowered to examine their teachers and grant certificates" to them in such form as the Superintendent of public instruction shall prescribe. KINDERGARTEN, MUSIC, DRAWING 163 Cities having a thoroughly equipped normal training school are exempt from these provisions in relation to the examination of teachers. Such certificates are valid only in the city in which they were given. KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS, AND TEACHERS OF MUSIC AND DRAWING. By an act passed in 1901, "graduates of any kindergarten training school, endorsed by the Superintendent of public instruction, who hold, also, a teacher's certificate or diploma from a reputable college of the State, or a high school having a four years' high school course, are legally qualified kindergarten teachers." "Any person who has finished a course of at least two years in music in the University of Michigan, or in any of the State normal schools, or in any college incorporated under the general laws of the State, and any person who has finished a course of at least one year in drawing in any of the aforesaid institutions, or in any other institution, whose course of study is acceptable to the Superintendent of public instruction, and holds in either case a statement from the proper authorities of the institution certifying to that fact, is a legally qualified teacher in music or in drawing." CHAPTER XIII. ABOUT TEXT-BOOKS. The first school law of the State gave no authority to any school official to prescribe the books which might be used in the schools. Parents furnished their children with such books as they happened to have or could most easily procure. The result of this freedom can be easily understood. The reports of Superintendent Pierce and of his immediate successor, Mr. Sawyer, showed that about thirty different books were in use for reading purposes. At the head of this list was the old English reader, with the New Testament as second and the Juvenile reader third. Fifteen works on arithmetic were named, with Daboll, Adams, and Smith in the lead. Ten geographies appeared, with Olney as first. The long list of grammars was headed by Kirkham. Mr. Sawyer, in commenting upon the condition of affairs, said, "If a general uniformity cannot be brought about, it is suggested whether the plan in some States, of authorizing the town committees, (or inspectors with us) to prescribe the books to be used in their own limits, might not be adopted." The early State reports make it evident that the evil of a multiplicity of text-books is a very old one, and that it has not been easy to find and apply an efficient remedy. In 1839 the Legislature made it the duty of the State Superintendent to report, "What provision, in his opinion, could or ought to be made by law, to insure a regular and PLAN TO SECURE UNIFORMITY 165 sufficient supply of text-books to every school district on the most economical terms, or what other provision, if any, should, in his opinion, be made to secure uniformity, as near as may be, in the books to be used in primary schools." This act was probably passed in consequence of a petition praying the Legislature "to provide by law for a better supply, as well as a greater uniformity, of school books." The plan proposed by the petitioners is historically interesting, as foreshadowing some of more recent date. The superintendent of public instruction was to be authorized and directed to purchase annually, at his discretion, legally approved books and stationery equal to the probable wants of the schools and the district libraries, and establish a central depository from which distribution should be made to the treasurer of each county, who should be the keeper of a depository for the county. The county treasurer was to appoint some person in each township to keep a township depository of school books. Books were to be sold to residents of Michigan at uniform prices fixed by the Superintendent. The Superintendent was to use such portion of the principal of the primary school fund as might be necessary to put the plan into operation. Mr. Pierce did not explicitly recommend this or any other plan, but simply said in his report: "Could some plan of this nature be put into successful operation, it would doubtless contribute to the public advantage. As it now is, the districts, in most cases, are obliged to rely upon the merchants for supply. This supply is often irregular— many of the books purchased are of the most inferior description—and frequently sold at high prices—some purchase one kind, some another; and this introduces confusion |