Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-06-08
q Educational.
Wages Of Female Teachers.

7 cannot leave this topic without adVertng to the
grossly inadequate compensation made to female teach
ers 1t was more last year than ever before; and yet
inclusive of board ii was, on an average Tor the State
only SS 70 month. For the very large proportion OF
females who are employed but four months in the
wear, this amounts to but $32 49, Many female ope-
ratives in factories obtain six or seven times as much
as this for their years work. What nducemcnt then,
has Young woman who has prospect OF obtaining
only 1888 year,-or even twice that sum, II she keeps
both summer and a winter school, TO spend either
much time or money in preparing herself Tor the en-
ployment? How can she purchase the books that
belong to her profession command such other means
as are indispensable for the general culture OF her mnd
How can she afford to attend Teachers Institutes, or
those other meetings of the learned and the eXperen-
ced, where the principles belonging to the science,
and the processes pertaining to the art OF educaton
nre expounded and exemplifcd? Take an example.
The late meeting of the American Institute Of nstruc-
ton was held at Concord in the State of New Hamp-
shire l was credbly informed that at least twenty
female teachers from single town IN Massachusetts,
were anxious to attend the session OF the Institute;
but on inquiry, they found it would cost them, in
money, besides their tme at least twothlrd5 Of the
whole months salary. The sum was small one, 1t
is true but the proportion it bore to their whole IN
come was large and, hence, they felt debarred from
attending-Let any agent for the nobe5t charity, or
the most useful society," that ever blessed mankind by
its beneyolence 90 through State Street. in Boston
through Wall Street, in New York, or through CORE
spending streets in other cities, and solicit from mer-
chants and professional men, two or three times each
year sum equal to two-thrds of whole months in
come and, if do not greatly mistake, his recolIec-
tons of these streets will very much resemble those
which British sailor has of the gauntlet-Alany a
ladv in what is called fashionable life, eXpends as
much otentimes far MORE on single article OF dress
or single entertainment, piece of porcelain, Of
ivory or of aabaster, than devoted female teacher
receives for whole year Of laborlous sefyice why
should not something be drawn from those overflow
inc funds which ncite to useless and often pernlclouS
Injuries or which minister to pride and vanity, tha
we NAV requite, more adequately, class Of services
rs mertorious as are ever rendered to mankind? The
nuhlc does great injustice to female teachers by the
;neouitabe recompense it makes them; but, diagram
as is the Injustice which it does to them, 1t would be
easv to show that it commits by the same acts, still
greater injustice against the rising generation
regret exceedingly that have not kept an accoun
of the number of applications which have received
for the last ten years. from the Southern and South
western States, for talented and Unqualified fe
males to take charge of select schools, to become
oovernesses in the families of the wealthy. hardly
dare to give an estimate made from the data Of recol
ton. lest it should seem eXtravagant; but at times
certainly. thev have been frequent as once week
for considerable period. Of course not all, perhap
not half, of the applications OF tins KIND winch CONF
into the State are addressed to me. The compensa
ton offered varies from $500 to 5000 a year-some
times, also, including the expenses of the journey
the place of employment The average may be Sc
down at $500. Many of the most highly educate
young women of New England yield to these induce
ments THE families Of some Of them needed tn
avals, and some Of them leaving q home OF comPeten
cy, and the society of kindred and friends, throng
the impulses of high missionary spirit-Now, VII
should Massachusetts send her most accomplish
teachers to the South and Southwest or rather, /
the broader spirit of wisdom and philanthropy, VIII
should she not prepare sufficient number to suppl
both the foreign and domestic demand? The female
whom we send abroad, and such they, are the yer
ones whom we ought to employ in our own schools
and the State possesses an abundance of the dormar
talent from which such teachers can be developed
and it has pecuniary means no less abundant for tn
cultivation of that talent.-Hon. H. .Mann's Report
The Massachusetts Board Of Education