Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-08-26

that well qualified teachers are not
readily TO be secured, and school
boards IN some cases are Obliged 10
MI In with such help as they can get.
what are the reasons for the les
SEEMING supply OF material to fill posi-
! tions In this choice and attractive call
| Ing? II cannot be that the profession
Is less enticing In itself than formerly,
since It's standard-that which makes
It attractive by the very distinction
It rcqulrcs-Rdvances with the years.
Teachers training courses are longer
and moro severe, teachers examina-
tions more rigid than hitherto. Great
or technical proficiency Is required of
the teacher, and perhaps greater ma
tural aptitude for the work than ever
before. But the high standard set for
the teacher would not of itself dimin.
ish the supply Of candidates II the pay
were IN proportion to tho qualifications
required.
II should be very simple matter
to have plenty of flrst-clsss teachers.
The profession of itself exercises
singular hold upon the services Of per-
sons OF high native ability. Given only
fair salary or wage-scale, and there
win be no lack of good scboolmen.
Teachers wages have risen but slow
ly. while the cost of living mas sharply
advanced Many teachers are quitting
the service for other vocations. This
Is especially true Of male teachers, who
are apparently giving up their places
to lady teachers This might not of IT.
self be an eyil were it not for one
rather astounding fact.
We learn from one of the correspon-
dence-teacGlng agencies, that. in the
west. the average period during which
lady teachers follow this vocation
varies from two to three years, After
that length of service the majority
retire. Most of them tnarry-a good
thing for the teachers. no doubt, but
an unfortunate thing for the schools
TWO years Of service barely suffice
in any calling to secure proficiency
and we suppose this to be especially
true Of teaching, which u.s. in many re-
spects. the most elusive to attain any
real excellence. In fact. lirst-class
teachers are comparatively rare. ff,
therefore, the girls stay in the pro-
fesson only long enough, on the aver
age to attain q reasonable skill there
in. and then leave 1t for some other
walk of life, their places being taken
anew by beginners, we are confronted
with a condition that bodies i'll for the
actual educational attachments of the
present generation of school children.
1t sometimes takes years to Judge OF
the quality of service which we are
receiving from school teachers. we
know them by their frults-by the
quality of the students they finally
graduate We are easily mistaken,
however, in judging of the value OF
the teachers product from day to day.
we may do this with fruit, milk, and
vegetables, and even. to some extent
with cloth and leather, with clothing
and shoes. with rock brick, hardware
etc; but not with the real value OF
the education which the child is re-
ceiving That Is not always evident
and is manifest only as a result of the
growth of years.
No community can afford to take any
such risks with the education Of It's
future citizens. New blood Is good
and young blood welcome in any voea~
ton; but no vocation, and least OF all
that of the teacher. can be first-class
under present conditions.