The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1868-03-19
Better Schools and Better Teachers.

Far too many of or teachers are mex
perisnced or not thoroughly qualified for
the profession. This explains why so many
inferior schools exist, and they probably
will so continue until measures are taken
by patrons to obtain better and more com.
pstens teachers. That there is room for inn
provement none will deny. To show that
vastly higher grade of excellence may be
attained will be the object of this and
future article. ft0
To secure better teachers, higher sedges
must be paid. At the present rate Of COM
pensation, few enter the profession with the
purpose of following it permanently :; and
the pre.sminent value of experience here, is
too generally acknowledged to require DEM
onstration. Few thus enter it, because it
offers no inducements to a person Of am
bition and enterprise to remain in it. In
almost every branch Of business an oppor-
tunity of pecuniary advancement is affor-
ded. A young man may become clerk.
with fair prospect of promotion, as his in-
creased experience renders his services more
valuable. But as teacher, unless his at
tainments are extraordi nary, he must plod
on from year to year, and from place to
place. at the same compensation, with no
prospects of an increase, and but trife if
at all in advance of one wholly inexperi-
snced. To those who cannot pursue col
legiate or other advanced course of prepa-
ration, and thus become fitted to act as in
structors in schools of higher grade, the in-
ducements are not such as to attract for a
great length of time, the best and most en-
ergetic. The majority teach for few terms.
perhaps to gain little ready money, or be-
cause no opening in business offers, or be.
cause they are not Of suitable age to leave
the paternaI roof for long period, and then
leave The profession, often for the profes
sion's good j: yet these temporary habits Of
the individuals making up the great teach
ing corps, work harm alike to parents, pu-
pills, and the profession. Under such Cir
cumstapces,it can scarcely be expected that
the labor will be SO en- Enthusiastically per-
formed, or that as much attention will be
paid by teachers to improving themselves
such as to lead them to it, and they were
stimulated by prospect of increase of saIa-
ry, for increase of ability. For this reason,
higher wages must be paid, to incite to bet
ter preparation. Men used to croak, in the
dark ages to the effect that person should
engage in teaching solely from love of the
work, with no consideration as to salary;
but happily that absurd theory has long
been exploded, and lives now only in the
remote past. 1t is now pretty generally
conceded that money, at least sufficient for
daily bread, is convenience, not to say ne
cessity, and that it holds true with teach
ers as with other members of the race
Again, so great disparity between the
pay of male and female teachers is not only
great obstacle to better schools, but it il
absolutely unjust. There is no earthly
reason why the latter as class, should re-
ceive but two thirds the amount given tc
the former, unless physical force commands
premium, which however, may be the
case in some communities of barbarian pro
clivities. Why should not an equal amount
of labor, equally we'll if not better per
formed,be equally well remunerated Some
of our very best teachers are females, who
yet receive far less compensation than
many males of greatly inferior qualifca
ton and adaptation. What justice is there
In such state of things Until better in
ducements are held out, the improvement
IN our teachers and consequently in
our schools, will make but little progress,
and few will enter the work for a series of
terms. It's not claimed that beginners are
too poorly paid-probably they are not
but 1T is an injustice that those of expert
once and acknowledged ability, should be
placed upon par with mere tyros. Whe n
higher compensation is paid-and districts
can afford it, considering the interests at
stake,--when reasonable Inducements are
offered, the supply of good teachers will he
more nearly equal to the demand, and our
schools in consequence, raised to higher
grade Of excellence. t.5 lyi soslgltI 8.
In another article we shall continue the
SUBJECT showing that more thorough quail
incatlon on the part of the teacher must be
required and that graduation of wages
should be made in favor of those whose sue
cessful experience has proved them to be
peculiarly adapted for the work,-aIso to
snow some of the obstacles aOithin the dis
tref to the success of school
QUAERo.
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