The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-12-31
.pI'l'g Gee
School Teachers Are. Mostly
Men Says Rural School
Supervisor. y

WASHINGTON Dec. -"Nearzy
ninety per cent OF the teachers in
sWitzerIaRdi are men. said W K
Tate, supervisor. Of rural schools. in
South car6Hn&s to a conference OF
educators at the United States Bureau
Of Education. Sdr Tate has just re-
turned from a three months investf-
gs ton in Switzerland under the au-
spices OF the bureau.
rive hundred dollars is considerec
a good salary for a teacher. AFTER
a lifetime of service he may go as
high as $500 Living is cheaper there
than here, however, and in addition to
his salary he is furnished with a
dwelling, a certain amount Of garden
land and wood for fuel. His dwei:-
ing is generally in the same building
with the school His position is of
considerable local Importance. Aside
from his duties In the schoolroom he
is often secretary OF the local cream
cry .i association, leader OF the village
band, .to9rsgahist in the church and
sSsaerSi Intellectual guide for the
cotatt2 s1'l'.' 5A''.'N,'. ,0''' . . &
as7w7f6eIR & tgacb6rS is Engaged for a
P8o5sitiod it is, for life or a long term
'of years. He settles down with the
people whose children he teaches,
and generally expects to make that
particular job his life work And he
stays. Changes are rare. Twelve
new teachers in one year in system
Of 24O was consideTed very unusual
The record for continued service in
the Same village is held by a teacher
in Thurgau, who has occupied the
same position for sixty-fve years.
One teacher that I visited has held
his position for twenty-four years
and his father held the same position
for thirty-fve years before him.
"One Of the most attractive feat
ures of the swiss schools is the cor
dial personal relation that exists be-
tween teacher and pupil There is
nothing OF the military in the discip-
line of the school; no Ening-up; no
marching to classes. When the chill
dren go to the classroom they shake
hands with the teacher, greeting him
as If tney had not seen him for a long
time and are really glad to see him
The whole relation is one of charms
ling naturalness and kindIiness on
both sides
IN the Swiss cantons school is in
Session from S to IN winter time,
with an intermission of two hours at
noon Cthree hours for the younger
children) In summer the children
have to be at school at Z a. m.
"FaiJure to be promoted. is rare.
After the four years OF elementary
training in the primary school pre-
scrfbed for everybody, the children
proceed into schools that are care
fully differentiated for the various
types CT children. Some of the chill
dren enter upon technical training;
others are sent through the gymna-
SUM and ultimately to the university,
and still others are prepared for bust
ness life or any other suitable career,
according to the ability and aptitude
of the individual boy or girl.
Commissioner eIaxtOn, who intro
'duced the speaker, said he believed
Americans, you'd derive. muehlbene-
fit IRON Mg. Tate's, STUDY Of oondi-
tons in Switzsrlaud. Which VIII soon
be, published, as a bulletin of the Bu-
r-eaq OF .Edqcation- In Switzerland
said DR.. Clarion, its a case ofsthe
school for the people, not the people
for the school. ,. We can learn much
from switzerIantf-more perhaps
than from some OF the larger cOun-
tries of Europe"