The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1905-04-07
coxBURG,
Regular correspondence.

Regular correspondence.
A few more words about our schools.
To help boys and girls to become men
and women in the best and broadcast
sense, physically, mentally and spiritu-
ally, is the purpose of every school, and
jointly with parents the privilege and
duty of every school teacher.
No one should be appointed to teach in
q school who has not already shown eff
cient qualifications and developed effec-
tive power certain to help in bringing
about the above results.
That the applicant for teachers posi-
ton may be mentally equipped to teach
any subject or group of subjects is only a
part of his necessary filling, and is Of
much less importance than that the per-
son be man or woman who, through
his orher own experience in life, is capa-
BILE Of influencing pupils to form right
habits and develop true character.
To this end we can not too strongly urge
that none but the best and most compe-
tent persons be selected to teach in our
schools.
The appointment of any person on any
other ground than that he or she is I'M
questionably the most competent candi-
date is certain TO lessen the power of the
school as an instrument for good, in fore
ing upon our boys and girls weaker and
less efficient teachers instead of the
strongeron ones they might and should have.
One of the greatest difficulties in the
way of our securing the best teachers for
the rural schools is the low salary which
must always be offered. Our salaries
rarely have any attraction for good and
experienced teachers, who readily find
better positions elsewhere. In addition,
we are continually losing our strong
teachers through the fact that they can
secure higher salaries with brighter pros
poets for advancement in other places.
Again, while the probability of losing
our strongest and most helpful teachers
is constantly menacing us, the most seri-
Gus and disgraceful part is that many Of
the salaries paid are utterly inadequate
for the proper maintenance of our teach
ers in health and comfort and the afford
ing Of opportunity for them to make any
provision against the helplessness of old
age. No matter how excellent the teach
ers may be, it seems to be assumed that
money enough to provide the mere nee
essaries of life while she serves in the
schools is sufficient, and we practically
say, when she has worn herself out in the
work, let her go to the poor-house; there
are plenty of others who are glad to get
her placeE
1t happens, too, in many cases. that in
addition to supporting themselves teach-
ers have the responsibility disappearing
others who are dependent upon them. 1t
does not help teachers work for her to
be constantly narrowed by the TACT that a
dependent and perhaps feeble mother or
sister is in need of the comforts if not the
actual necessaries of life. Yet we have
cases of this kind.
We need system by which the eff
Gent teacher, the faithful teacher-the
teacher who is willing to remain year af-
ter year--can look forward to some addi-
ton to his salary. In point of fact, the
clerk, and particularly the lower-priced
clerk, in the various departments of the
Government can look forward to an in
crease of salary from year to year. Then
and not till then will we be able to get
the better work so much in demand.
CoxBURG, March q.