The Weiser semi-weekly signal. (Weiser, Washington Co., Idaho) 1904-1911, 1904-05-11
OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
Mose1y Commissions Views or
Its Good and Bad Points.
TOO MANY WOMEN TEACHERS HERE

/
British Educational Commissfon say
They Tend to Make Youths Les,
vtriIe ard Thinks Sexes should BE
Separated to Promote "HeaIthy
| Head Punching'-Admits Our Edu.
cationnI system In More Practical
| Than EneIand's.
Recognizing that it will be necessary
for Great Britain to compete with well
! trained Americans, the members Of the
Mosely commission sent over to the
! United States last fall to study Amer
lean educational methods, call upon
England to lose no time in following
the best methods of the American
schools, says the New York Herald.
They find flaws in the educational sys-
TEN of the United States, and al
though they think American students
get less book knowledge than their
English cousins they find that the
Americans use what they get in g
much more effective manner and be-
come the more dangerous competitors.
They think the American schoolboy
keener than the English one, although
they regret deeply that the preponder-
ance Of women teachers is robbing the
Yankee youth of his tendency to
withstand having "his head punched"
All but two Of the twenty-six investi-
gators subscribe to a sweeping CON
domination Of the presence of so many
women teachers in the economy of the
schools and most of them condemn CO.
education. All admire the self reli-
ance which, despite the growing femi-
nine influence in the lower schools, is
inculcated In American youth, and to
this habit of thought they attribute
much of the success which attends the
efforts Of the American in later life.
Speaking Of themselves in the third
person the members say: Although In
the past the belief in education has
been the effect rather than the cause Of
American prosperity, during the last
quarter of century education has had
powerful and far reaching influence,
and 1t cannot be doubted that In the
future 1t will become more and more
the cause of industrial and commercial
progress and Of national well being.
They are satisfied that in years to
come in competing with American
commerce we shall be called upon to
face trained men. gifted with both en-
terprise and knowledge. They desire
to impress on the British public the
absolute need Of immediate prepare
ton on our part to meet such competi-
tion."
Mr. Mosely takes a general view OF
the educational situation before giving
way to the general report
zone of the things which struck me-"
be says, "all through the United States
was the large amount of money devot-
ed to educational purposes, the build
ings being magnificent and the equip
rnent lavish. The teachers seem fred
with enthusiasm, and there is thirst
for knowledge shown by pupils of all
ages which is largely lacking in our
own country. In contrast to our edu-
cation, which has to large extent been
classical, found that in America 1t
Is the practical subjects which are
taught, and technical
classes and schools are to be found
everywhere.
Personally, should favor the en-
ployment of women teachers for both |
boys and girls up to the age of twelve |
years, for the reason that the woman
claims the sympathy of children in
younger years and understands the
working of their minds in a way that |
no man can. Beyond this point, how
ever, | am in favor of turning the |
pupils over to men, and here Amer
lean education, to my view, requires
some overhauling. Not only did find |
comparatively few men engaged in
but also few preparing to |
become teachers, and upon investiga-
lion l found the reason to be In the
of the remuneration, which |
s insufficient to attract good class
- ~-@~'%* LIS 30 4 thihhf q btIlOuS Qt-
feet, and l venture to suggest that |
higher salaries be paid to teachers of
both sexes, but especially to men, in
order to make it worth their while not
merely as duty, bat as remunera-
i've profession"
In their joint report, Professor AYR
on dissenting, and Mr.. X. Blair on
he educational fence, the members
'ay they have been led TO view with
harm the growing preponderance Of
women teachers.
Most Of u.s." says Professor Henry
2, Armstrong OF tue Central Institute
u London, who are conyersanf with
ehool work were struck with the dis.
lneuyely low average OF attainment In
be American high schools. To what
this nttriDutablef In part, prob
'piy, 10 the conditions which prevail
y American life, but IN large measure,
venture " think, 10 the prevalence
y mixed schools and the preDonder.