Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1907-12-12
Remarkable Growth Of School System.

/ Lie WOI1ucIlul StUWtu vi liic puO-
lie school system and the progress of
education in Pennsylvania is set
forth in detail in the forthcoming
annual report of DR.. Nathan G..
s .lafier, Superintendent of Public
instruction. The report shows that
in the last twenty years the biennial
appropriation in this state for the
school purposes has increased from
81 ,00O, 900 to $,5, ,O0O, 900.
Along with this increase has gone
corresponding increase in the sal
ries of teachers, the report saying on
this point: In 1887 the average saia-
ry of male teachers was S39. IS, and
of female teachers $29.S5. In 1906
the corresponding amounts were
$54. 46 and $50, 9,OS.
In 1908 salary act was passed fix
ing the minimum salary at So per
month. In 1907 Il minimum salary
law was enacted fixing $50 per month
as the lowest salary that could be
paid to teacher holding profess
onal or permanent certificate, andi
an additional certificate of proticien-
cy in teaching during two years, and
$40 per month as the minimum that
can be paid to teacher lacking
these qualifications. The state now
comes to the rescue of the poorer
districts by paying the excess of
these salaries above the salaries paid
in 1906.
In 1887 the total expenditures for
school purposes were $40, l29. 732. 81; !;
in 1906 they were S3l ,0Gs, ,3O4.64. In
1907 the salaries of tho teachers ag-
gregated S., 1878, 749.Ss; in 1906 Slj
$40, ,954O3.
The gradual lengthening of the
school term is mentioned by the su-
perintendent as another evidence of
progress. Since 1854, when the min
imum term was four months, it has
been gradually heightened until 1897
| when it was raised to six months,
since 1899 it has been seven months.
Other evidences of growth are found
| in the total attendance of pupils and
in the number of teachers employed
In commenting on the minimum
salary act Superintendent Schaetfer
commends Governor Stuart for car
rying out the policy of the last legis-
lature of more liberal support to the
public school system Of Pennsylva-
mia and says: No legislation has
reached the remOtest districts of the
state like the minimum salary act.
1t will take away from the general
school appropriation SS56,000 The
effect has been to raise the compen-
satiOn Of teachers 10 a living basis.
1t is possible that some schools will
not be better taught by reason of the
advance of teachers salaries, but the
tonic effect OF the increase will be
felt throughout the entire school sys-
tenn.
The report suggests that either
vaccination should be made compul-
sorry or the state should make pro-
vision for the hundreds of children
who are growing up in ignorance
and illiteracy because their parents
neglect or refusi to have them vac
cinated. 1t also suggests that attpn-
dance officers throughout the state
use their power TO find children who
work in mines and factories before
attaining the legal age for leaving
school. This is declared to be most
important since the Philadelphia
courts have declared the most essen
tial feature of the child labor law
unconstitutional.
The report also states that after
deducting the funds for the pay of
county superintendents and the
maintenance of township and bor-
ough high schools from the biennial
appropriation of sl5, 1000, 900 made to
the public schools by the last legis-
iature there will still remain 1856,
600 in exsess of previous years to be
distributed to the school districts
and that every district that complies
with the laws and has not suffered a
decrease in population will receive a
larger amount in 1908 than was paid
to it i'm 1907.