The Certificated schoolmasters and schoohnistresses seem a little inclined to
make themselves into a gaild or trades' union, with rather strict rules against dangerous competition; but the conditions of the public service will hardly allow of success. A deputation of school teachers, which was introduced to Lord Aberdare and Mr. Forster on Thursday, presented a. memorial deprecating the recent relaxation of the conditions on which certificates are granted, and advising instead an increase of salary, which would retain all the best teachers in the profes- sion and soon bring in new ones ; they would also limit the number of apprentices,—i.e., of pupil-teachers,--and suggest a preliminary stage of " stipendiary monitorship " as antecedent to the stage of pupil-teachership. They particularly deprecate any general over-production or glut of teachers, which they evi- dently think there should be some step taken to prevent. Ur. Forster in reply pointed out that the teacher is already far better paid for his work than when he (Mr. Forster) first took office ; that the relaxation of the rules for certificates was quite necessary to meet a sudden demand consequent on the Act of 1870 ; that he had
been pressed to abolish the requisite of a certificate altogether, and to pay the master simply by the proved results of his teach- ing ; and that if he had thought it for the interests of the children, he must and would have done so, 'without regarding the vested interest of the masters. The 16,000 teachers,—they will shortly be 35,000 teachers, says Lord Aberdare,—will certainly do well not to try to multiply the restrictions which bar the way to their profession. If they.do, we may find out that we should get all the most valuable of them without any such restrictions, and perhaps some most excellent teachers besides whom these restric- tions only scare away.
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