Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-09-19

TIE SCOuOIIlS dilu lliOA WI A'AASsS 80 AAAO>>
ern factory and mine production. This
fact, with the general intelligence, Gull
ture. and refinement emanating from
our higher institutions of learning
should establish our colleges in the con-
fidence and respect of all men.
While the colleges have been insist
ing on high school courses to fit pupils
for college entrance, the public has
neglected the mass of pupils with
neither the taste nor capacity for Gull
tural or professional education The
result is that our public schools have
been trying to fit every pupil for col
lege and of course, have failed to meet
the needs of a majority Of people.
1t is not surprising that school meth
DDS and courses are being condemned
1t is a wonder that the people have not
sooner demanded a change. The rea-
son why school ira lining has not been
adapted to the real needs Of the people
is that the public is unwilling to APP
propriate funds sufficient to support
courses in the various lines of work de-
sired To conduct courses for pu-
pills preparing to enter college, for
manual training, domestic science, bus
mess and normal courses for teachers
would require twice as many teachers
for our high schools as are now en-
ployed and at a cost of perhaps three
times the amount now expended. Un-
less the public is ready to demand the
change and pay the price. it is silly to
blame the teachers or the schools.
With only one school in the state sup
ported by public funds, whose function
is to prepare teachers, and with our
high schools devoting most of their
time to preparing pupils for college, is
it any wonder that our high schooi
graduates fail to secure certificates?
Let it be remembered that the
teachers are NOT responsible for the
present courses in our high schools
There is a certain amount of vanity in
every town and city that demands that
the graduates of the local school shall
be entitled to all the privileges of those
from other towns and cities. The
superintendent and the high school
principal at Squeedunk might as well
resign as to change the course OF study
so as TO disqualify their graduates for
college entrance While the graduates
from the rural town of Podunk are adj
mitted to college without examination.
Neither are the teachers Responsible
for the inadequate supply and inferior
quality of our teaching forces 1t IS
evident that salaries are not sufficient
" high to attract and hold teachers TO
the work If salaries We're higher. the
demand for trained teachers would
bring more normal schools and more
teachers School critics must bear IN
mind that what may seem high wages
for a teachers time may be poor COM
pensation when the nerve-racking ma :
ture of the work-the fault finding dis
position of the public. and the brief
professional life of the teacher are con-
sidered.
The most unjust criticism of al is
that the schools are not doing thor
ough work The fact is that no teacher
can long retain her place if she insists
on thorough work Vanity or family
pride seems TO make the American
school patron unable TO treat justly the
teacher who refuses 20 promote his
children. A Few of these influential
citizens can make any teachers posi-
ton untenable Hundreds Of teachers
lose their positions each year by trying
to be honest The writer has known
many teachers to be dismissed because
the pupils did not like them. when their
unpopularitv was due 10 their demand
ing thorough work. If the American
teacher were given the same support
that the European teacher receives
there would be more thorough schol-
ars, better blacksm!ths, carpenters and
businessmen The public will get thor
ough work from teachers as soon as il
is honestly demanded and the support
given No community paving sixty
dollars month to the heads Of the
commercial and manual training de-
partments has any right 70 expect gohd
work We believe the people are get
ting more from our schools than they
are paying for. We also believe that
much OF the recent criticism is un-
ius..