Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-11-26
The Scarcity of Men in the
Teachin g Profession.

that there is a scarcity OF men In
the teaching profession and this
scarcity of men in the teaching
profession is due, directly and in
directly, to great many different
causes, but shall try to point out
only some of the principal causes.
The relative number of men en-
ployed as teachers is growing less
as shown by statistics. In 1880
about 43 per cent. of the teachers
employed in the United States
we're men. In 1905 only "a per
cent. were men. The relative
number of men to women teachers
varies in different sections of
states, that being the lowest in the
New England group, and the high
est in the South Central group
while in Missouri it is only 80 per
cent. of the number of teachers
employed.
When we say "scarcity of men"
it is used to imply that there is a
need of more men. If men are
not employed where their services
are needed there must be a cause
for such condition. We assume
that a need of more men in the
teaching profession actually ex-
lists, and that this need is general
ly recognized and made apparent
to men at the time of choosing a
profession; then, the lack of ac-
tractiveness in the teaching pro-
fession must be the cause of men
seeking other occupations. The
lack of attraction in teaching is
not because it is q salaried pro-
fession. Nearly all professions
are salaried to great extent.
The fees of the doctor and the
lawyer are, with some exceptions,
fixed, and the possible maximum
income is nearly as much deter
mined as that of the teacher. On
ly recently prominent physician
stated that the increased cost of
living in the past few years fell
heavier on the doctor than any
other class of men; because that
the fees fixed by the code had not
been changed in the past ten years,
and that no physician could
charge, in the general practice,
higher than the established fee
and retain his clientago. In the
whole commercial world business
is, in the main, transacted by the
corporation and men are employ
led as salary earners. The same
is true in manufacturing and
transportation. 1t is not that there
is an odium in salary earning.
AS far as the salary affects the se-
lection of profession or employ
ment, it must be the meagerness
of the salary offered that repels
men. That the salaries are mea-
ger in the teaching profession is
shown by statistics. The average
for all men teachers in the state
of Missouri in 1905 was $52 IL, and
for women S44.24. In the Univer-
sity, Normal Schools and High
Schools in the large cities and
town High Schools the salary is
correspondingly small.
Recently an investigation was
made in several cities in the state
of New York to determine the av-
erage cost of living of family of
husband, wife and two children.
1t was found to be S1,991, which
was just 36 per cent. above the
average salaries paid to the High
school teachers in these same cit
les. 1t must be admitted that this
does not look attractive to a man
who has family to support, if he
wants to live comfortable like
other respectable people; and es-
pecially man of the high attain
ments required of a city High
school teacher, a man who would
be content to live otherwise than
comfortable would hardly be con-
sidered candidate for a position.
A noted writer discusses the
question from the feminizing in
fluence of women teachers in the
schools. Following his line of
arguments "Women feminine
the course OF study. The curricu-
lum taught by women will most
naturally receive feminine inter-
pretation. The material is select
cd primarily for it's value in pre-
pairing boys for self support.
The constant tendency is to over
value the softer and more snowy
arts at the expense Of hard essen
tials. Women feminine the meth
cd Of teaching. The woman in
fluences the boy through a person.