Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-01-01
SCHOOL TEACHERS.
TIE PREPoNDERANcE OF WOMEN AS
PUBLIC INSTRUCTORS.
Relative Adaptability for Teaching
suficiency of wages-Quality, Not
Price, Should Govern-Etc

mainly IN the hands Of men. But grad
ually a change has been going on in
this particular, and though gradual, the
change has been by no means slow
one; and now the preponderance is in
many places heavily the other way. In
the United States, as appears by the
latest reliable authority, the number of
teachers in the public schools is 236,019;
and of these the women are 129,400. In
the following States the sexes are dis
tributed among the public school teach
ers in this proportion: Nevada, male,
81; female, 143. California, male, Lila;
female, 2,Sl6. Connecticut, male, 573;
female, 2,146. Maine, male, 1,344; fe-
male, 3,453. Massachusetts, male, 922;
female, GAIL. New York, male, 5,461;
female, 1903. While in the City of
New York the numbers are $3.50 ladies,
and the men are 4S3 In the City of
San Francisco the female teachers are
624 in number, and the men 63. 1t is
not matter Of regret that large pro-
portion-a proportion extending even
to a considerable majority of the teach
ers-should be women, The profession
of teaching is one in which women may
and do find a natural and BETTING
place. Here there can be no question
of "wOmers' rights" no room for the
reproach OF strong minGedness."
WOMAN Is a NATURAL TEACHER.
She is ever the first teacher; she is or
dained of God And at a period of life
the first period-when the teaching is
of the highest order, the most delicate,
most momentous in results either for
good or i'll, accordingly as the work has
been done wisely or unwisely, she is.
by the verdict of all ages, the only COM
petent teacher During infancy and the
earlier years Of childhood the founda-
tons of character are laid. Nearly all
the men who have been greatly distin-
guished in their lives have declared that
their greatness was due to the teachings
of their mothers. So, when the child
energies from the home and appears at
school, it Is the verdict of experienc that
he should fail into hands of woman to
guide and TO instruct. After the child
has somewhat matured, after the char
acter has been to large extent moulded
and the intellect trained, the work may
be carried on by men. But it is a very
rare thing that a man is found fit to be
primary teacher This arises from d
difference in the mental and moral con-
situations OF the two sexes. [ will not
stop here to examine into this constitu-
tional difference. Meanwhile it may be
well to remark, while passing on, that
there are some men who are excellent
primary teachers, and that all women
are not necessarily such. Mention has
been made Of the great
PBEPoNDERANCE OF FEMALES
In the profession. Both sexes should
be well represented among the teachers
If the education is to be symmetrical.
Those very constitutional differences of
character, u which reference has been
made as being so beneficial in their
play at different periods of the instruc-
ton, may become, by too exclusive a
sway, hurtful to the last degree. They
may produce educational results dis
toTted, characters One-sided. Hence
the work OF education should he carried
on by both men and women distributed
In due proportion. Following the indi-
cations Of nature in the household, and
in the proportions of the two sexes born
into the world, just proportion would
seem to be about half and half Should
the schoolmarms slightly exceed in
number, l presume that some would
complain. And here it may be well to
speak Of
THE TITLE OF sCHOOLMARM."
Doubtless it was originally intended
as a reproach; but the lady teachers
wisely accepted and assumed the name,
and, by so doing, have extracted the
sting completely. In fact, no one of
them hesitates to proclaim that she is a
schoolmarm it has already become,
and for henceforth, title Of honor
One conjectures in vain as to how there
could ever have been aught of reprOach
in being a school teacher; there could
be reproach IN assuming the character
when unworthy or incompetent.
REWARD AND EQUALITY.
And now We come to the question of
reward. The pecuuiary reward all over
the Union Is inadequate. 1t Is true that
Us yet it Is greater on this coast than in
the Eastern States, but it is too small
everywhere. The fact has been men
toned that the number of men engaged
IN teaching IS lamentably too small. /
The women seem to be running them
out. The men say and feel that there
Is no career for them in the profession.
The consequence is that they teach only
long enough to give time to study med !
icine or theology, or to prepare for some
other pursuit. The fact may not be
well understood, but still it stares us in !
the face. Men cannot make the best of /
teachers when animated by such mo-
tIves-they can only be time servers. |
Every man and every woman ought to, |
and probably does, contemplate getting /
married at some time. Now. when the |
man gets married he ku0srS that he will |
have TO support a family; a woman has
the right to expect that she Will not. |
Hence the man must have a margin on |
his income whereby he can accumulate /
something to support family on in the |
future Besides, a man has many ex- |
penseS which do not fall upon women. |
He has his poll and road taxes, and he |
Is called upon for a multitude of dOna- |
tons and subscriptions from which /
women are exempt. Moreover, his very |
association with ladies', and his inter
course with society in general, entail /
expenses upon him which do not fall !
upon the other sex. Should d man de- !
sire to attend q lady to the theater, pic
mic, or excursion, OF to take a drive with !
her, all the forseen and all the uufore- /
seen expenses fall upon him alone. All |
these, with other reasons combined. but /
mainly the support of a family present /
or prospective, make it necessary that /
the man should receive more. And the /
fact is that even with the present slight /
in salary, the men are leaving /
the professional thing greatly to be /
regretted. ana which must be remedied. /
But it may be SAID that the
LAW OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND
Will adjust and regulate all this. Yes; |
the law Of supply and demand has reg /
ulated the condition of labor on this |
coast beautifully, To-day we are over /
run and devoured by a horde of Mon /
Colian slaves and criminals, and in con- !
sequence but few of our own kind are |
willing to come and live with u.s. The !
law of supply and demand viii bring us
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