The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1908-02-13
IHt COUNTY SCHOOLS.
INTERESTING Letter Of Facts ant
Figures SuhMtlud hT the
County Supi,

county, the county auperintend-
ent has found good work being
done in most OF shem. The
teachers generally are organizing
the schools upon the plan out
lined for the county. Only a few
seem not to know how to follow
the outline course OF study, nor
to have any definite plan OF their
own. In general, the schools are
more thoroughly organized. and
more and better work is being
done than ever before. But
while most Of the schools are do
ing good work-many OF them
excellent work, there is still
some poor work in some Of she
schools, Indeed, some defects
in our school work reach practic-
ally all of the schools. To me the
four greatest hindrances to the
best progress are; LIST. Untrain-
ed teachers. I'd. Irregular at
tendance. Sd. Lack Of interest
by the people. 4th. Short and
irregular terms. We shall speak
of these in the order named.
The following statistics show
some interesting facts about the
teaching force in the county this
year:
Number of teachers employed,
1875; number having experience,
1876; number having no expert
ence, 40. Per cent Of expert
enced teachers, 75; per cent Of
inexperienced teachers, %; num-
Der employed in cities and towns,
60; number employed in the coun-
try, 1873; per cent Of experienced
teachers in cities and towns, 100;
per cent Of experienced teachers
in the country, So; per cent Of in.
experienced teachers in the coun-
try, 40.
OF the 155 teachers who have
had some previous experience,
many have taught only one year;
but few have taught five years or
more. Taking the county a. a
whole, one teacher in four has
had no experience or professional
training. More than tWo-thirda
of the teacning force is employed
in the rural districts; yet only IS
per cent OF this number have had
any experience in teaching. II
is a noticeable fact, also, that
the cities and towns employ only
trained teachers. Too many OF
our schools are in the hands OF
inexperienced persons, and all
Of these are in the country. We
do not mean by this that so many
Of the country teachers are fail
ures, and that all the town teach.
ers are successful in their work
Neither are we disposed to find
fault with our young teachers.
Some Of them are doing good
work, but as a body they can not
be expected TO do as good work
as older and more mature per.
sons. The time has passed when
anybody can teach school. Most
school boards are demanding
teachers OF successful experience
or those who have had special
training for the work. The State
has established Eve Normal
schools for the training Of teach
ers. But the rural districts can
not hope for much hslp yet from
this source, since most Of the
graduates from these schools are
taken up by the cities and towns.
May we not ask for some help
from our own High SchoolsY
They furnish about rs per cent
OF the beginning teachers each
year. These schools are in charge
Of superintendents and princi
pals Of wide experience; who are
capable Of instsncting the proa.
pective teachers among their
students how TO teach. And is
it not possible that this work
may do as much real good as 50
much Latin, Trigonometry,
Mythology, etc.g Again, is il