The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-12-24
ORATORY ENEMY
OF FRATERNITY
Debating Clubs Would EIimi-
nate H. S. Secret Socie-
ties, Says Cotton.
USED AS STEPPING STONE
STATE SUPERINTENDENT cHARe-
ES HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS
FILL THEIR POSITIONS ONLY TO
PREPARE FOR COLLEGE WORK.

indianapolis, Ind. Dec. "a Hope of
eliminating the high school fraternity
lies in the organization of oratorical
or debating societies, according to a
view expressed by State Superintend-
ent of Public Instruction, Fassett A..
Cotton in his forthcoming report.
Superintendent Cotton does not hold
the high school fraternity blaReless in
fits effect on conditions in Tie high
school, and is outspoken in favor of
sts elimination by substituting proper
counter organizations.
The high school fraternity was
doubtless a direct result of the young,
Cver-enthusiastic, inexperienced col
lege-fraternity, college, graduate high
school teacher observes Mr. Cotton
"Men and women of maturer judgment
and larger experience. who have chos-
en- teaching as their life work, will
easily correct the fault and exert
wholesome influence upon the high
school,
Necessity Felt. +sa
Mr.. Cotton places great stress upon
the point of obtaining teachers for
work in the high schools who have de-
cided upon a teachers mode of life, in
stead of employing. young men and
women who are making the high.
school a stepping stone to better job.
He sees the high school a convenient
temporary stopping place for the col
lege or university graduate, who
chooses to teach for one. two or three
years, then to leave the profession for
another field. He would eliminate
this class of teachers as nearly as pos
sible. He found grounds for hoping
that this will be the case as he looked
over the high schools of the state. pre-
paratory to making his annual report.
The tendency is to require more ex-
tended preparation on the part of high
school teachers and each year finds
the qualifications little higher" says
Mr.. Cotton. 1T seems to be conceded
that every high school teacher should
have scholarship equivalent to that of
a graduate from one of the best col
leges.'
are JUST instructors.
Mr.. Cotton finds the criticism made
that the average high school teacher
IL weak In the matter of presentation
of school subjects and traces the fault
to the teacher just out of college who
is inexperienced in school teaching
He found also the criticism that high
school teachers are in many instances
inclined to be mere instructors instead
of teachers, failing which naturally
follows the college course. Mr.. Cot
ton advocates the employment of high
school teachers with experience and
who have the qualifications supplied
by an adequate course of instruction in
e college. university or high grade nor
NAL school. who will feel the response
bility of their places and become
teachers in fact. as well as in theory
He pleads for proper teachers at the
time the pupils leave the common
schools for an entirely different field
of work in a different environment.
when they need the constant care and
direction Of strong men and women"
That the state is beginning to see
the necessity of education afforded by
the high school, was also found by Mr..
Cotton in preparing his report. For
the first time in the history of the
state. the high school is recognized by
all as part of the public schools
he observes. The people pretty gen.
orally regard it as an essential factor
and it's growth in numbers and efficien- |
cy is assured
Classification of Schools.
The high schools of the state are di-
Sided into three classes: the non-cer-
titled, the certified and the commits
stoned differing among themselves in
length OF terms and course of study !
The average township or high schools |
make up the first class and they are
numerous. The second class numbers
cighty-four in the state. OF the COM
missioned class there are 2IS
There are at present 2,O54 high |
school teachers in the state: 1,42S in |
the commissioned schools. 626 in the |
certified or non-certified schools. OF |
these 942 are college or university |
graduates. So are both college and |
university graduates and 316 normal |
school graduates. The highest salary |
paid high school teacher in the state |
Is $50 a month: the lowest of which |