Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-22
TEACHERS FOR ARGENTINA,
Where the Public School System Re
sembles Ours.
From the Brooklyn Eagle.

From the Brooklyn Eagle.
Argentine is looking to the United States
for school teachers. Long ago she learned
here how to face the problem of public
education. Her schools are founded on
American ideas; her system is built after
American plans. Many of her foremost
educators are natives of the United States,
and like Oliver of old. she wants 'more!"
She has at present in the United States
special commissioner, who is securing the
country for just the sort Of teachers she
needs. She has had here for nearly three
years DR.. Jose B. Zubiaur, one of her own
great educational authorities, primarily
studying Uncle Sans school methods,
though incidentally serving as delegate
to the Pan-American exposition. She is
supporting here and in Canada some sixty
students in special schools, who she hopes
will one day come home prepared to help
her in the great work Of public education.
And she is about to establish travelling
scholarships in pedagogy, whereby goOdly
number of teachers may travel and learn
what other teachers are doing, notably the
teachers of the United States. This will be
the easier in that, being in the southern
hemisphere, Argentine reverSes sea-
sons, and her teachers can, during their
summer vacations, visit the scenes of our
greatest educational activity at the period
OF their greatest educational activity.
James H. Fitzsimons, the special commits
sioner already referred to, wants particu-
larly teachers and professors for normal
schools He is now In the west looking for
them. More than anything else he wants
two men as professors of pedagogy and
experimental psychology, and he Is en-
powered to offer them salaries of 800 a
month in gold. Also he wants several nor
NAL school principals at a salary of $3.50
a month. OF necessity they must be col
lege graduates; and naturally a working
knowledge of the Spanish language is re-
CURED 1t is a splendid opening for any
one who has wearied of the daily grind
and yearns for change, always provided
he can fill the requirements.
But word in his ear. Let him not go
down there with any idea that 1t is one
of those unprogressive Latin American
countries that he is going to, where they
are probably a quarter of a century be-
hind the times For If. as has been as
serted, nations progress Is to be judged
by it's conception of the states educational
duties toward It's citizens, then is Argen-
tine, the southernmost country of the great
American continent, the most progressive
nation not merely of South America, but
OF the Western Hemisphere, if not of the
world. She has learned educational meth
DDS from Uncle Sam, but she has outstrip-
ped him in many directions. He believes
in the main in free public education, with
imitations-free primary and even second
airy education. But he has not yet reach
ed the stage of free university education
Argentine has. Uncle Sam holds the cup
of knowledge to the lips Of the thirsty and
says in his own vernacular, Have one on
me!-a good big one!' But he does not
necessarily undertake to quench the thirst
completely. Argentine does, If the sum of
human knowledge at the present stage of
the worlds progress can do 1t.