a pupil has not been in attendance the required period, or a class has not be held for the full period of thirty-six weeks or there has been less than ten members in attendance upon such class, the Commissioner of Education may, for reasons satisfactory to himself, excuse such default and allow the institution in which such class was instructed equitable compensation proportionate to the number of pupils and period of instruction for the time such pupil was in actual attendance upon such training class.

This money is paid by the State Comptroller on the certificate of the Commissioner of Education to the district entitled to receive it. The money is then the property of the district and may be used for school purposes as the district directs, except that such money cannot be paid as extra compensation to a teacher or teachers who receive a fixed salary.

Training Class Fund.- The amount of this fund is determined annually by the Legislature. The Legislature appropriated for 1918-1919 $90,000 from the free school fund for the support of these classes and training schools. Of this amount $32,830 was paid for maintenance of training classes and the balance of $57,170 to cities for support of training schools.

Duties of District Superintendents.- District Superintendents are directed by law to visit and inspect training classes, to advise and assist principals in the organization and management of such classes, to conduct examinations for such classes as directed by the Commissioner of Education and to issue certificates in the form prescribed by the Commissioner of Education to those members of classes who have met the requirements of the law and the regulations of the Commissioner of Education.

Requirements for Admission.- To be eligible to be received in membership in a teachers' training class, an applicant must have completed the equivalent of at least three years' approved work in a high school. Announcement was made that in 1918 the requirements for admission to such classes will be advanced to graduation from an approved four-year course, but these advance requirements will not go into effect until further notice.

Training-class Certificates.-A training-class certificate issued between January 1, 1896, and August 1, 1905, is valid for three. years and entitles its holder to teach in any public school, during its validity, in the commissioner district for which it is issued. Upon its expiration it may be renewed for a period of five years wthout further examination. It must also be indorsed by any district su

perintendent in the State, when presented to him for that purpose. These certificates issued after August 1, 1905, entitle their holders to teach in those schools only which do not maintain an academic department. A holder of a training class certificate who is also a high school graduate and who has taught successfully for two years since completing the training class course, may receive a form of training class certificate which will entitle her to teach in the grades of a school which maintains an academic department. Upon their expiration they may be renewed for a period of five years, provided the holder thereof has taught successfully three of the five years for which the certificate was issued.

Regulations for Classes. To the Commissioner of Education is given the authority to establish regulations, for the instruction and management of training classes, to prescribe the course of study for such classes, and to determine the conditions upon which pupils will be admitted to such classes.

No person can receive a certificate who is under the age of eighteen years, and as pupils are required to be under instruction in a training class one year, candidates for membership in such classes must be at least seventeen years of age. (Complete regulations may be obtained upon application to the Commissioner of Educa tion.)

CITY TRAINING SCHOOLS

[Section 794, Article 31]

Any city in the State, or any district of 5,000 or more population in the State, employing a superintendent of schools, may establish and maintain schools or classes for the professional training and instruction of teachers for not less than two years.

The law also provides that no person is eligible to membership in one of these training schools or classes who has not been graduated from a high school or academy having a three years' course of instruction approved by the Commissioner of Education, or from some other institution of equal or higher rank. The Commissioner of Education may prescribe higher qualifications and he has exercised this discretion by providing that all persons admitted to training schools shall have completed an approved four years' academic course. The course of study of such training schools or classes must also be approved by the Commissioner of Education. The Commissioner of Education is also authorized to apportion to each city maintaining a training school or class under the pro

visions of this law and the regulations which he prescribes the balance of the annual appropriation for training classes and training schools after apportioning the training classes the amount to which they are entitled. This balance must be apportioned ratably according to the aggregate attendance of the pupils regularly admitted to such training schools.

TEACHERS' INSTITUTES

[Article 30]

Origin. The first teachers' institute in this State was held at Ithaca in April, 1843. It was in session for two weeks and was attended by twenty-eight teachers. The Superintendent of Tompkins county had charge of it and obtained assistants to conduct it. It received no aid from the State. The propriety of establishing this institute was decided upon in October, 1842, at the Tompkins County Teachers' Association. The work was successful and popular, and other counties soon followed the same plan. In 1847 the Legislature appropriated $60 for the aid of each institute held in the State. As the Legislature makes no appropriation for institutes they have been discontinued. The conferences of teachers held by district superintendents supersedes the institute's work.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

How early were training classes maintained in the academies? What significance has the year 1827? What is the object in organizing training classes? When was the first act creating them passed? Who had supervision of them? What change was made in 1889? In what institutions may they be organized? By whom are these institutions designated? Explain how these appointments are made? What restrictions are placed on the number of pupils which may be in a class? What period of instruction is required? What period for each day? Are members of these classes charged tuition? What exception is there to this rule? What compensation is allowed an institution for maintaining one of these classes? How is this money obtained? What appropriations are made for this work? What equitable allowance may be apportioned for maintaining a training class? What are the general duties of a district superintendent in relation to these classes? Explain fully the value of a training class certificate. By whom are regulations governing training classes prescribed? What is the minimum age limit for admission to these classes? Explain the provisions of section 551 of the Education Law relating to training schools and classes in cities and villages employing a superintendent. Explain the method of appropriating State funds for these purposes.

CHAPTER XXIX

TEACHERS' QUALIFICATIONS, CERTIFICATES, CONTRACTS, POWERS

AND DUTIES

[Article 20]

Who Are Legally Qualified to Teach.- No person is legally qualified to teach in a public school in any supervisory district who does not hold either a State certificate, a college graduate's certificate, a normal school diploma, an equivalent certificate, a temporary license, a school commissioner's certificate or a district superintendent's certificate. To be legally qualified to teach in a city, or village of 5,000 population or more, a person must hold one of the first four certificates above named or a certificate issued by the school authorities of the city or village in which such person desires to contract.

Age of Teachers-.No person can legally be licensed to teach in a public school of this State who is not at least eighteen years of age and a citizen of the United States.

State Certificates. These certificates have been issued by either the State Superintendent of Public Instruction or the Commissioner of Education since 1875, upon examination only. Their holders are legally qualified to teach for life in the public schools of the State without further examination. Previous to 1875, these certificates were issued by the State Superintendent upon recommendation. No examinations were required. Such certificates confer the same rights upon those holding them as State certificates issued since 1875. Candidates must pass the required examinations and must have taught successfully for three years, to be eligible to receive one of these certificates.

College Certificates.- A certificate, valid for three years in all schools, will be issued to any graduate of a college approved by the State Commissioner of Education, who shall have completed therein a course in education under the regulations of the State

Education Department. On evidence of three years successful experience in teaching a permanent certificate will be issued.

A certificate, valid for two years, will be granted to a graduate of an approved course in an approved college. If during this term the holder shall pass an examination in psychology, history of education, the principles of education and methods of teaching, the certificate will be renewed for one year. This certificate entitles its holder to teach in high schools and in rural schools or in all schools except primary and grammar grades in cities and villages of 5,000 or more. At the end of three years' successful experience in teaching, a college graduate certificate will be issued, valid for life, and in any school or department of a school in the State.

Normal School Diplomas.- These diplomas are issued by the normal school authorities to students who have completed one of the prescribed courses of these schools. Such diplomas legally qualify those who hold them to teach for life in the public schools of the State without further examination.

Uniform Certificates. These certificates were issued by school commissioners under such regulations as the Commissioner of Education prescribed.* This class of certificates now in force are issued by district superintendents and are rural school renewable certificates, training-class certificates, and special certificates known as drawing, kindergarten, vocal-music, elocution, commercial, manual training, physical training and domestic art or science.

First Grade. Such of these certificates as have already been issued are valid for either five years or ten years and upon the expiration thereof they may be renewed, without examination, by a district superintendent, for either five years or ten years, according to the period of time for which such certificates were originally issued. This renewal depends, in the case of five-year certificates, upon the holder thereof having taught three years during the life of the certificate and, in the case of the ten-year certificates, upon the holder thereof having taught at least five years during the life of such certificate. These certificates are valid in the supervisory district for which they are issued and upon indorsement by the superintendent having jurisdiction they become valid in any supervisory district of the State.

* The regulations under which these certificates are issued may be obtained at any time from the Education Department.