The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-12-19
SCARCITY OF TEACHERS.
This Writer Sayssit is Because am
~ nations are Made. too Stiff.


I recently read an article entitled,
ga scarcity of teachers, and why"
The problem has become a burning
question with school boards in
Oregon, where but recently there
was an over supply of teachers.
The article urged that the fault is
with scho1 boards, who do not pay
sufioitnt salaries to induce young
people to enter the profession, and
urged advance of pay all along the
line
In my view the fault is in
another direction. 1t will be re-
membered that our educational
officers took it upon them selves a
few years ago, by raising the
standard of examinations, to
debar the greater inumber Of our
teachers from securing certificates.
Under these examinations, many
teacher perfect1yIqualifed toteach in
country districts was unable to get
certificates. Yet in all other re-
spects, many of these former teach
ers were better qualified to teach
rudimentary grades than are lots
of those who now obtain certif
Gates. All know that it takes
more than mere education to
make a good school teacher. Under
the new plan, we have to take any
thing for teacher, just so it has
an education. The reader will re-
member the time that almost any
young man or woman with COM
mon school education could OBJ
tain certificate. and teach Sue
cessful term of country school. But
now, going into the arena that is
fixed by the authorities.they are al
most sure to fail. There are chill
dren in many a remote district that
are growing up in dense ignorance.
In our district we have had but
little over two months school in the
past eighteen months There are
in this part Of the country six or
seven other districts that are faring
about the same. If this plan had
been in vogue it is doubtful if
Frances Willard had ever become
known to the world. She was
reared in the wilds of Wisconsin,
and where school privileges were
meagre, but she obtained a first
class certificate, and in her time
taught I, 900 pupils. Had she ap
piled for certigcate in one of the
arenas of Oregon, she would have
gone home a disappointed girl, as
her education was very limited.
Indeed, it is not necessary to go
back to the instances of Frances
Willard. James A. Garfield, Daniel
Webster and others, but right here
in Oregon, in Benton County and
A1sea we will find school teachers
that will gladly teach for the same
wages that was given a few years
ago. Oregon is paying today $I2
per capita to educate her public
school children. Iowa, Illinois,
Wisconsin, Ohio and all Eastern
states pay about the same, while
many of the southern states pay
only$3 to s.. so per capita.
The trouble is chiefly with the
general management, and not with
our school boards. Many people
are taking their children to the
cities and towns of Oaegon, because
they cannot have a school at home.
Yet there are thousands Of children
in the state whose parents are so
that they cannot leave
home oa send their little ones off to
school. If the wrong here pointed
out is not made right we shall have
to send to other states for teachers,
for business men and if you please
for students to fill the colleges.
Frank Hughes.