The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-24
SALARIES Of TEACHERS
IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES
ARE UNIFORMLY SMALL
Present Agitation in the United
States for an Increase Leads
to Comparison.
BEGGARLY PAY ABROAD
Two Hundred Dollars Is the Az
erage Annual Income OF Foreign
Female Teachers.
MEN GET LITTLE MORE
Pay of Americans Should Be
Higher, but Is Much Greater
than that of Europeans.
PAY ABROAD
MEN GET LITTLE MORE

Correspondence OF the Indiana polls Journal.
LONDON. Jan. 15.-Ths agitation for an
increase in school teachers salaries now
going on in a number of American cities
caused inquiry into school conditions
abroad with the following result. founded
on the latest and best information obtain
able:
English teachers are regarded nothing
short of Croesuses by their colleagues all
over Europe. but judged by the American
standard of values. the pupils are to be
congratulated rather than the teachers on
the prevailing conditions.
The government of Great Britain took
hold of public education-after a fashion
only in 1870 when the school act" was
passed. However, Irelands schools have
been under government control much long
or. which may account for the great num-
Der OF intelligent Irishmen I'm the United
States. The underlying principle of the
school act DEGREES that the community has
to furnish education wherever private and
religious schools do not suffice for the de-
mands made upon them, while the royal
government succors all schools of what
ever character that come up to the States
requirements. This is the fee grant. so
called. At present the demands of the fee
grant amount to about s5O0Oo,ooO per an
mum.
Compulsory education was introduced in
Scotland in 1872, i'm England, four years
later, in Ireland, in 1891. Since the fall of
1891 the governments fee grant for ele-
mentary education is ten shillings G2.JO)
per child per year. sufficient to make edu-
cation comparatively free in most country
schools and in 20 per cent. of the peoples
schools, so called. in towns.
But even to-day some eight hundred
thousand children of Great Britain are
compelled To pay one penny to sixpence per
week for their education, besides buying
books and writing material.
Only about 30 per cent. of English school
teachers are males; the schOolma am reigns
supreme in city and country. A single look
upon the scale OF salaries viii explain.
While male principals earn. on an average,
i'm the neighborhood of $3.50, the female
principal has less than $40.
Male class teachers have an average sal
airy of $3.50 per annum: the female class
teacher must get along on less than $3.50.
But this average is deceiving. Hundreds
upon hundreds of English schoolma ans
receive no more than go 5000 per annum.
when engaged in the country and ESQ per
annum when working in towns
TEACHERS IN CANADA.
Despite the neighborhood of the United
States the Canadian government. strange
to say, does not look upon public educat alton
as a function to which it Is committed by
self-interest. Elementary education is left
to the initiative of the communities and
private citizens. There is advantag
over the mother country, though: unlike
his British brother and sister, the Cana
dian boy and girl does not need to save
pennies to help pay for his or her school
ing. But at the same time considerable
percentage of Canadian children grow up
without education, simply because their
parents are too shiftless to compel the
youngsters TO make use of the opportuni-
ties offered.
fair-teachers' salaries In Canada vary very
much. In city as well as country, they
are much below the American standard
1t must be taken into consideration
though, that the cost of living is much less
than I'm the United States. In Toronto for
instance, school teacher can get very re-
spectacle board and lodging for 81 a week
The great majority of Canadian schools
are kept up or controlled. in part at least
by religious congregations in proportion 70
and Catholic Church. respectively. there be-
ing probably a million more Protestants
than Catholics
Catholic teachers who insist upon mixing
religion with their profession not per
mitted to teach In the city schools. An un-
written law compels them to seek n liveli-
| hood in the country districts. where re-
Enumeration is considerably lower than in
towns. For that reason an increasing mum
Der of teachers OF that class seeking en-
ployment across the border I'm the United
States. a curious comment on American
/ tolerance by the way.
In America education and religion are sep
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