Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-10-29

once possessed will be called in question
more ana more by the rapidly improving
hiSn schoois These private schools will
be forced to great efforts TO imnrove their
equipment ana the quality of their work
IN ,r order 10 earn the right to exist.
| those private schools which are able to
meet the increasing demands If the times
VIII ma an abundant field for their Ia
Dor still remaining.
| Inc academy meets the needs of anoth-
er considerable class who for some rea-
son or another left school at an early age
but VINO later in life desire to complete
their educatlon- They have passed the
common school age ana. were it not for
the academy, would in most cases never
be able TO iulhil their ambition for an ed g
ucation. Students of thirty years or more
| are not uncommon among our academies
| As | have stated above 2g7 students
| nave entered Maine colleges this year
| from our own preparatory schools. Only
~ students from schools outside the
state nave entered these colleges. We
have then prepared ~ per cent OF the stu
/ dents VINO nave entered our colleges \
considerable number of students prepared
! leges in other states. Have these stu
dents been well prepared for college?
Inc secretary OF a certain college in
MaSSac huSettS iii letter To me a wear
| ago made the Interesting statement
| Maine schools are not held in high re-
gard. As the names Of twenty-five stu
dents, prepared in various Name schools
| appear IN the catalogns Of this college for
last year. We must grant that this eSti-
mate OF our sChooIS is not based on iso-
| lated eases. There is a certain candor
about this statement. made ii was 10
he principal of one of these schools that
is refreshing and leaves no doubt as to
lts Senuincnrss. This evidence, coming
from college whose students for the
year represented the schools Of thirty-six
different states. is NOR" valuable than
could possibly be- obtained from the col
leses of our own stde whose only bas.-
tor comparison Of our Maine preparatory
schools with those If other states would
he drawn from Il few isolated cases. We
may assume then. though ii cause uS
regard in the colleges outside our own
State for the reason that IN. results Of
our training. as shown IN the work of our
graduates an entering college are not 81
a high quality.
WHAT ARE tn faults Y. our preparatory
schools
one of the chief faults in our schools Is
the poor quality Of instruction given. The
principals and many of Inc assistant
teachers in a large number OF our pre-
piratOry schools ere recent graduates NJ
our colleges. They enter upon their WORK
tn most cases with no further experience
than Is gained in a few months teach
ms of country schools. Their only meth
DDS ar" derived from observation OF col
/ legp instructors with college classes.
The lack Of experience on the part Of
these Instructors j. equalcd only by fheir
I Lack M scholarship. ID is amazing ~
uur who ha~ NOT experienced Ii how sue
.
hing definite about the SUBJECTS pursued
i'm "A course of liberal study 1t i tru"
these teachers often max" up IN ldrE"
part. for their Lack Of experience ny tn"
hoUnIl.sS enthusiasm which they bring
10 their work. Ana they are. without
doubt. more valuable than teachers of
longer experience who are satisfied to
teach each year - they did The year he
fore without -uriching themselves and
jh..ir work by continental study But no
amount "f enthusiasm san compensate.
for tht lack WI perspective ANA sound
scholarship which their work shows.
These well meaning young men are cN-
pcrimrnting upon thu young people of
tour communities with results that are ton
often painful alike To operator and sub
jeci The small salaries paid in most Of
our Maine schools make il impossible 10
keep \ teacher after he Mas acquired some
ability to teach 80 that many schools
never rise above this experimental stage.
As soon as one teacher acquires sufficient
skill to make his services really valuable
his place is taken by another novice.
Maine has the unfortunate" distinction
NJ furnishing teachers ior prominent posi-
lions In almost every state IN the Union.
Whenever a teacher shows his head above
the leyal of mediocrity. some MaSsachu
Setts superintendent appropritteS him and
the process l. resumed in that town OF
training another teacher Tor higher use
fulnes> ana salary IN another state. We
must admit that those OF rs who have
Taught tn Maine preparatory 81 houls for ~
years or more lack either ambition of
ability or that love Of money which is
INC common root OF lnankind's ills
Our preparafory teachers lack prOfes-
>ionai spirit \ large number OF our
teachers arc teaching simply to earn
money enough ID pan the debt incurred
by their college courses or to secure sutfi-
| cient means to defray the expense Of
courses in graduate schools. Net infre-
uuentlN they are engaged in the study Or
medicine. or thu. law while teaching They
| feel M desire tp win regulations az teach
| ers Their work Is done in a hAlf-hearted
way ana they regard il a great relief
| when they can finally step out of the
Schoo,rOom once for all. Even those who
! are not looking forward TO some other
profession in many cases do but little to
| improve themselves.
| The mtagrr salaries maid in most Maine
| schools are "A good ana sufficient reason
/ why our teachers are on the alert for
positions elsewhere cr are eager to aban-
don Teaching for some profession offering
| Ear greater financial returns. Travel and
srudv are expensive and the salaries of
many If our teachers preclude these to
I1ny extent The ui.EardlN attitude shown
| III corry1ittnes ana too often by the pub
! H. generally toward our schools is in a
large maaslIr. rcSponeible for their de
| rncrs Iast summer the ronmittee in
! charge al the election of a principal of a
! Maine r,reDaratorv school told several
| randtd,tes That they had voted to give
M no1itiou IN the one NJ them who
tnry What Kind Of teaching can be eX-
pecteti when positions are offered To the
Lowest bidder?