6850 Sec. 151. State fire day. For the purpose of creating a public sentiment, and in order that the people of this state shall have called to their attention the great damage caused, both to life and property, by fire, there is hereby set apart and established the first Friday in November which shall be designated and known as "State Fire Day." This day shall be observed by the public, private and parochial schools of the state with exercises appropriate to the subject and the day.

6851 Sec. 152. Instructions-fire danger. For the purpose of instruction in fire dangers, and in methods of fire prevention, it shall be the duty of the Chief Deputy Fire Commissioner and of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to prepare a book conveniently arranged in chapters, or lessons, such chapters or lessons to be in number sufficient to provide a different chapter or lesson for each month of the maximum school year. The expense for publishing the books of instruction, or other literature on the subject of fire dangers, shall be paid out of the special fund for the maintenance othe fire commissioner's office, and such books of instruction shall be distributedf by the state superintendent of public instruction, in quantities sufficient to provide a copy for each teacher. Every teacher or instructor in every public, private or parochial school shall devote not less than thirty minutes in each school month, to instruction of pupils in the subject of fire dangers, and in the methods of fire prevention.

6852 Sec. 153. Distribution of law. It shall be the duty of the members of school boards, school directors, trustees, or other body of persons having control of the schools of any city, village or district, to cause a copy of this act to be printed in the manual or handbook prepared for the guidance of teachers, where such manual is in use or may hereafter come in use.

6853

Certificates-registration.

Fees-application.

High school teacher-certificate-qualifications.

6869. Grade teachers in high school or city

districts.

Sec. 154. Certificates-classes.-The teachers' certificates issued

by authority of the state of Nebraska, and entitling the holders thereof

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to teach in the schools of this state, shall consist of three principal classes, viz., state certificates, county certificates, and city certificates.

6854 Sec. 155. State certificates.-State certificates shall consist of three classes, viz.:

First. The professional state certificate which shall be good for life entitling the holder thereof to teach in any public school of Nebraska. Provided, no life certificate shall be in force after the holder shall permit a space of three years to lapse without following some educational pursuit, unless the certificate be endorsed by the state superintendent.

Second. The first grade state certificate which shall be good for three years from date of issuance, entitling the holder thereof to teach in any public school of Nebraska during the life of such certificate. After three years of successful experience the holder of a first grade state certificate shall be entitled to a professional state certificate good for life.

Third. The elementary state certificate which shall be good for a term of not less than one year and not to exceed three years from date of issuance, at the discretion of the county superintendent of the county in which the holder of such certificate shall teach.

6855 Sec. 156. County certificates.-County certificates shall consist of three grades, viz.:

First. The first grade county certificate which shall be valid in and for the county where granted for a term of not less than two years and not to exceed three years from date of issuance, at the discretion of the county superintendent of the county in which the holder of such certificate shall teach.

Second. The second grade county certificate which shall be valid in and for the county where granted for a term of not less than one year and not to exceed two years from date of issuance, at the discretion of the county superintendent of the county in which the holder of such certificate shall

teach.

Third. The third grade county certificate which shall be valid in and for the county where granted for such term as the county superintendent may deem best but not exceeding one year from date of issuance. Provided, that no person shall be entitled to receive more than one third grade county certificate.

6856 Sec. 157. City certificates.-City certificates shall be granted as state certificates, under rules prescribed by the state superintendent of public instruction, and such certificates shall consist of six general classes, as follows: (1) Kindergarten, (2) primary, (3) grammar, (4) high school, (5) special supervisor and (6) superintendent. The rules for city certificates shall set forth in detail the standards for each class of certificates and shall fix the minimum requirements for each class which, for teaching in the grades, must not be less than a second grade county certificate, and for teaching in the high school or for supervising city schools, must not be less than the equivalent of a first grade state certificate. Changes made in the rules during the school year shall not be effected earlier than the first of July next thereafter.

6857 Sec. 158. Professional state certificates.-The professional state certificate may be granted to any person of approved learning and character,

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and possessing evident ability in the science and art of school management, who has had one year's successful experience as a teacher in the public schools of this state, who holds a first grade county certificate and in addition thereto shall pass a satisfactory examination before the superintendent of public instruction or a committee of three competent persons appointed by him, in chemistry, English literature, general history, geology, physical geography, plane trigonometry, psychology, rhetoric and zoology.

The professional state certificate may be granted also to any person who is a graduate from a college or university of good standing of this or any other state, who has had three years' successful experience as a teacher in the public schools of Nebraska, and who holds a first grade county certificate issued in this state.

The professional state certificate may be granted also to any person who holds a diploma from a state normal school of another state conferring the right to teach for life in that state.

The professional state certificate may be granted also, at the discretion of the state superintendent, to the holder of a professional state certificate from another state.

All certificates named in this section shall be granted by the state superintendent of public instruction.

6858 Sec. 159. First grade county certificates.-The first grade county certificates may be granted to any person of approved learning and character, and possessing evident ability to teach and govern a school, who shall pass a satisfactory examination in all the branches required to obtain a second grade county certificate, and in algebra, botany, geometry, and physics. Provided, no person shall be granted a first grade county certificate who has not had at least twelve weeks' normal training in a college, university, or normal school of approved standing in this or in another state, or in a state junior normal school of Nebraska, or in a high school of Nebraska approved by the state superintendent of public instruction as being equipped to give such normal training. Provided further, one or more years' successful experience as a teacher may be considered the equivalent of the normal training required by this section.

6859 Sec. 160. Second grade county certificates.-The second grade county certificate may be granted to any person of approved learning and character, who, in addition to the branches specified for the third grade county certificate, shall pass a satisfactory examination in civil government, bookkeeping, blackboard drawing, theory and art of teaching, and the elements of agriculture, including a fair knowledge of the structure and habits of the common plants, insects, birds and quadrupeds. Provided, no person shall be granted a second grade certificate who has not had at least eight weeks' normal training in a college, university, or normal school of approved standing in this or in another state, or in a state junior normal school of Nebraska, or in a high school of Nebraska approved by the state superintendent of public instruction as being equipped to give such normal training. Provided further, one or more years' successful experience as a teacher may be considered the equivalent of the normal training required by this section.

6860 Sec. 161. Third grade county certificates.-The third grade

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county certificate may be granted to any person of approved character who shall pass a satisfactory examination in orthography, reading, penmanship, geography, arithmetic, physiology and hygiene, English composition, English grammar, and United States history.

6861 Sec. 162. Examinations.-The state superintendent of public instruction shall prepare all questions for the examination of applicants for teachers' certificates as provided under this act, both county and state, and shall prescribe all rules and regulations for the conduct of all such examinations, and shall determine the times and places for all examinations, except as hereinafter provided. He shall examine, mark, and file, or cause to be examined, marked, and filed, all answer papers submitted by candidates for state and county certificates, which answer papers shall be forwarded by the county superintendent immediately after the close of each examination to the state superintendent of public instruction. He may appoint a committee of three competent persons and such clerical force as he may deem necessary to assist him in all such examinations, who shall make a complete and accurate record of all such examinations to be kept on file in the office of the state superintendent. Provided, the state superintendent may require county superintendents to assist him in the preparation of examination questions for county certificates.

6862 Sec. 163. Examinations-granting certificates. The county supperintendent shall hold a public examination of all persons offering themselves as applicants for teachers' certificates on such dates as may be arranged by the state superintendent of public instruction, at which time he shall examine them by the series of written or printed questions according to the rules and regulations prescribed by the state superintendent of public instruction. The county superintendent shall forward all answer papers submitted by candidates for teachers' certificates, designating each by a number instead of a name, immediately after the close of the examination, to the state superintendent of public instruction for examination, marking, filing and recording. The state superintendent of public instruction shall transmit within thirty days from date of said examination a record of the standings of each applicant for a county certificate to the county superintendent, who shall then grant to the applicant a certificate of qualifications if the applicant is found to possess the requisite knowledge and understanding to teach in the common schools of the state the various branches required by law, provided the county superintendent has satisfactory evidence that the candidate is a person of good moral character, has had successful experience, if any, and possesses an aptness to teach and govern a school. Provided, the county superintendent at his discretion in case of emergency, may grant permission to teach until the results of the next regular examination are received from the state superintendent of public instruction to any person applying at any other time than at a regular examination, who can show satisfactory reasons for failing to attend such examination and satisfactory evidence of qualifications, subject to such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the state superintendent of public instruction; but such permit shall not be granted more than once in any county to the same person. Provided further, in emergencies arising from a scarcity of teachers in any county, the state superintendent may at his discretion, upon the recommendation of the county superintendent, grant

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permission to teach in a specified district for a specified term of school, the person given such permission to teach being required to attend teachers' examinations and to write upon such subjects as the county superintendent may direct. Provided further, the county superintendent may, at his discretion, grant a first grade county certificate, without examination, to a graduate of a college, university, or state normal school, subject to such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the state superintendent of public nstruction.

6863 Sec. 164. Renewal of certificate.-The first grade state certificate and the city state certificate may be re-issued under such rules and regulations as the state superintendent may prescribe. First and second grade county certificates may be re-issued, without examination, at the discretion of the county superintendent, under such requirements as may be imposed by the state superintendent of public instruction.

The certificate issued by the county superintendent shall be valid only in the county where issued.

Under the new certification law neither the county superintendent nor the state superintendent can endorse any certificate, county, city or state, issued in Nebraska or in any other state. The powers and duties of the county superintendents as well as the state superintendent are derived entirely from the authority conferred upon them by statute. They can exercise only such powers as are specifically granted by law. It must appear from the records of their proceedings that they have jurisdiction or their acts will be void. This is the principle of law laid down in the case of Ratcliffe vs. Faris of the supreme court of Nebraska. the state superintendent is not prohibited by specific act from endorsing certificates granted in other states, he is not given that authority. Hence were he to attempt it his act would be illegal. The county superintendent is absolutely prohibited from endorsing any certificate as is evident from the last paragraph of section 156, article 12, which reads: "The certificate issued by the county superintendent shall be valid only in the county where issued."

While

6864 Sec. 165. Certificate-revocation.-Every certificate issued under the provisions of this article shall be revoked by the authority issuing the same for any cause which would have authorized or required such authority to refuse to grant it if known at the time it was granted, and for incompetence, immorality, intemperance, cruelty, crime against the law of the state, negligence of duty, or general negligence of the business of the school. The revocation of the certificate shall terminate the employment of such teacher in the school where he or she may at the time be employed, but such teacher must be paid up to the time of receiving notice of such revocation. The authority revoking such certificate must immediately notify the director of the school district or the secretary of the board of education where such teacher is employed. The authority revoking such certificate shall notify the teacher of such revocation, and must enter his action in such case in the books or records of his office. Provided, however, no certificate shall be revoked without due notice from the proper authority, and an opportunity given the teacher to explain or defend his or her conduct.

A county superintendent has no authority whatsoever to revoke a state certificate. If he attempt to revoke such certificate his act is null and void. Where a county superintendent desires the revocation of a state certificate he should make his charges specific and file them with the state superintendent, who will set a time and place for the teacher whose certificate is thus attacked to show cause why it should not be revoked.

The revocation of a county certificate rests solely with the county superintendent. The state superintendent may, however, prefer charges against the holder of a county certificate. He may also revoke or annul the grades of any teacher which have been earned or accepted under the new certification law, when it becomes evident that such grades were obtained through fraud or collusion.

6865 Sec. 166. Fees for certificate-support teachers' institute.Each applicant who is examined for a county certificate shall pay one dollar