Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-26
THE UNDERPAID PROFESSION.
Average Pay Of Teachers Discourag-
ingly Low.

From the Boston Transcript.
The woman teachers In one Of the coun-
ties of West Virginia are reported to be or
ganizing a union, with view to striking
for higher pay. The average salary of
woman teacher in this country Is said to
be only $50 per month. The teachers de-
clare that this Is not a living wage at the
present time. They emphasize the fact that
the cost of living has increased greatly
during recent years. while their rate of pay
has remained the same Unless the school
committees advance their salaries sufi-
GENTLY to meet the enlarged demands on
their purses they threaten to strike when
the schools reopen next month.
The grievance Of the teachers In west
Virginia is not peculiar to that state. 1t Is
notorious that teachers In general are
shamefully underpaid. The only liberal
calling that can be compared to teaching In
this respect is the ministry. The average
pay Of teachers is, however, probably much
lower than that of ministers, and this for
the reason that the teaching profession IS
crowded with women. Other causes OF the
shabby remuneration of teachers are easily
discoverable in the conditions of the call
ing. Wages are governed here as elsewhere
by the memorable law of supply and de-
mand. Now the supply of teachers Is I'M
doubtedly excessive. 1t is constantly in
creasing, furthermore, with every annual
output of academic graduates. Teaching Is
a kind of dumping ground for the surplus
products of the colleges Many young per-
sons enter this profession simply because
they have no decided preference as to their
life work. Others teach for year or two
in order to earn money TO study law, medi-
cine or theology. 1t is a popularity or
teaching, as compared with these other
professions, that an ordinary school or col
lege training enables a person to enter 1t.
Special preparation by graduate study is
not indispensable. Moreover, the social and
Sfh afin off fra n
swell the number Of entrants into the call
ing.
While these and other influences com
bne to affect the pay Of teachers unfa-
vorably by multiplying the supply over
rapidly, the factor Of demand is not cor
respondingly active. The race Is not yet
so far advanced in the scale of civilization
that men are willing to pay as highly for
services that minister to intellectual and
spiritual culture for those that relate
to physical and economic well-being. There
is an imperative urgency about the demand
for the latter which causes them to be lib-
orally rewarded We value the services of
the physician and the lawyer more highly
than those of the teacher and the clergy
man. The expert chef is proverbially bet
ter paid than the greatest college president
the successful jockey gets more than the
| foremost preacher. In fact the great law
of supply and demand is a grotesque fail
ure as a salary regulator. The teachers
| and preachers ought to start a movement
| for its repeal.
An effective remedy for the evil Of low
| pay in the teaching profession is not ready
| at hand. Trade unionism for teachers
| hardly seems appropriate. Nothing, indeed
can be expected to work complete reform
here except the slow evolution in human
nature, which will create a proper appre-
| citation of the services rendered by this
| class But something could be done by
| raising the standard of requirements for
| teaching. If more thorough preparation
were demanded this would keep out the
transients, dilettantes and incompetents
| who are now the bane of the calling. The
| oversupply of mediocre talent would be
| cut off and the average pay would certainly
be increased.