Maumee express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1838-05-12
From Lewis Common School report.
SCHOOL TEACHERS 'i2''l

or country, complaints are made that
good teachers cannot be had every op-
portunity has been improved to becnm'
acquainted with the difficulty and IFS
causes; thatit exists 10 an ruinous ex-
tent, is certain. i, ,l,,st.,, ,...,..e,. ,,f.
Without intending the least reflection
upon good teachers, (and we have ma
ny in the profession who are an honor
to the state,l it is my duty 10 say. that
many Of common, as well as private
school teachers, are unqualified for the
task they assume. II is not necessary,
IN public document, torepeat more inl
ly what all have heard on this subject.
What has been said Of systems Of in
struction may be repeated to teachers
There are found in both public and pri-
vate schools every grade, from the most
talented, learned. disinterested and EN-.
ergetic, to those Of characters entirely
Opposite. The most general defect is
want of learning and energy /; and poor
teachers are sometimes the most seri-
Gus obstacles TO the introduction oi re-
form in their neighborhoods. F.. W
The cause Of all this is. not bard 10
find: it is simply that the compensation
is not enough to induce men Of learning,
talent and moral character to 60 into the
profession, or continue init. We may
speculate as much as we please, pass
resolutions, mourn overrt the defect, es-
tablish schools for teachers, and invent
an hundred other plans, the more we
teach the candidates the less number of
teachers. we shall nave; for men Of lear.
ming and talent will not telch unless the
compensation and responsibility of the
business are both greatly increased.
/ Men are and will be as ageneral rule
governed by self-interest, and while so
wide field is open for enterprise and
learning mother departments, they will
not engage,in this, unless we make the
emoluments in some proportion equal
with other professions. im1le i'4ta.
t,o This rule is well understood in other
matters: five employ an eminent law
yer we must pay a high price; it we
purchase an article Of clothing the
price is exactly according to the quail
iy. We would not trnst a favorite horse
in the keeping o a worthless creature
who is glad to work for his victuals.-
five acton the same principles in Sc
lecting teachers, wellsettled principle
that never fails, will in a short time
make the supply equal to the demand
All the other learned professions are
well fitted for teaching, and would viii
lingly enlist if the business would. sup
ort them.
Teaching must be made profession
for life; but it will never be so until we
provide business for its members our
schools must be kept long enough each
| year to support man, or he cannot de-
pend upon il for a living. However in,
portan. itmay be to establish institution:
for the education Of teachers, it will be
wholly useless until schools are furnish
ed with competent salaries to support
these men thus educated and then the
teachers, in free country, will soon be
qualified. o eoH foa
We have in this state no young mer
that can answer to the class in boasted
Prussia, which by royal edict is thus
described: To the end that the student.
who belong to the poorer classes, and
whose destiny it is 10 be teachers Of the
poor, may willingly continue in that con-
dition, and may not learn to know pants
and wishes which they must not and
ought not to have the power Of satisfy.
ing. g.--This may do for Prussia, but will
not do in Ohio. The schools for the
poor with us must be the schools for the
rich; the same class Of men must teach
them, and the same salaries must be
pSid to comand their services. Ioe
b While school is only taught three
months ia the year, no man qualified
will be found willing to engage in il;
and to read, and write, and cypher, will
be the extent of common school learn
ing, so long as we tax these schools
with the support ofone-half the students
in other professions, or so long as they
are taught by a class ofmen merely be.
cause ii is easier than making rails or
by those who. having tried every thing
else, and failed, do this to keep from
starving, orin the language ofan exam.
iner who was demonstrated with for
giving the certificate replied Ifthe man
can't teach he must starve, lorahe is fit
for nothing else under heayenl aasls,f
Still the common school teacher, good
or bad, holds more of thefaturc destiny
of tho country In his hands than all 9th
er human influence conpiasd, (ezcept
themother,) Land as IS heteaher 30 will