The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-11-21
THERE AREsTOO MANY
WOMEN TEACHERS
More Men Are Needed, Says
Prof. w. HI. Hand.
SPHERE OF THE SEXES.
Women Are "Indicated" During the
Child's First Five Years-Are
Desirable Thereafter.


over-efiieminized" is the question
raised and discussed by William H.
Hand of Columbia, state inspector of
high schools, in his seventh annual
report, forthcoming shortly.
Mr.. Hand, after noting a "steady
increase in the number and proper
tion of high school teachers with
college training" and an even
greater decrease in the number and
proportion of teachers with less than
a college education" goes on to say:
over against these two gratifying
facts stands out one which compels
thinking people to ask IL our high
schools are not rapidly becoming
ove4effeminized For four years
theHumber of men teachers has re-
mained almost stationary, but with
slight decrease. For the same period
the number og women teachers has
Increased so per cent.
"I realize that it is rash, impolitic
and dangerous to say that the high
schools are in need of more men
teachers of ability. In discussing
question like this it is hard to con-
fine people to orderly reasoning.
let us divest the subject of sentt-
and natronizing gallantry. The
whole question of the relative eff
cheney of men and women as teachers
Is usually pitched on the wrong
plane and discussed from the wrong
viewpoint.
MEN NOT SUPERIOR.
-, "The discussion is not to try to
prove that men teachers are in any
way superior to women teachers, but
to show that each has place, very
necessary place. The characteristics
of the two sexes are distinctly un-
like, but they are harmonious, they
are complementary and supplement
ary. God wisely made them so. me
child's existence is due to the eXls-
tence of the two sexes, and his future
welfare and development depend on
what can be supplied by both sexes.
"The well-balanced training of the
child is dependent on the retention
of this harmony OF dual characters
tics; the Joint training given by the
father and the mother makes 1t a
symmetrical training, and the alb
senokof the training of either parent
is a distinct loss to the child. In
this ioint parental training the child
at different stages of his physical,
mental and moral growth is more de-
pendent upon, more responsive TO-
and more in need of the peculiar IN
fluences furnished by the one parent
or the other. Be the child boy or
girl II needs the directing and con-
trolling influence of both parents. A
manly man is not feminine, nor Is a
womanly woman masculine. The
moment either crosses natures
boundary line, loss of force and
svmmetry is the penalty.
SPHERE OF THE SEXES.
"What is true in the home is true
in the school In his education he Is
entitled to the influence of both
sexes as teachers. For the first five
years of a child's school life the
average man as its teacher is all out
a failure as compared with the aver
age woman. The woman Is more
patient and gentle and sympathetic,
and Is In every way better htted 10
furnish what the child needs.
"Ahout the time the boy enters his
18th year he begins to manifest radi-
cal changes in his disposition, In his
tastes. and in his ideals. He still
needs patience, gentleness and SYM
nathy. but he needs something even
more important than mere control
he is yearning for that unconscious
tuition which Is involved in assocla-
ton with manly man.
"The time has come for him TO
initiate, and to wLom should he turn
with more confidence than to MS
teacher? What mother OF judgment
would have her boy initiate the most
perfect woman OF her acquaintance
any more than she would have her
girl initiate the most perfect man OF
her acquaintance? The silent power
of imitation must never be lost slght
Of and the boys craving for the
comnanionship OF a manly man must
moi be ignored. Mere control Is
among the least OF the adolescent
hov's needs. Many a woman teacher
is able to shake 16 years OF young
American until his teeth rattle. In
the language Of DR.. Thomas Arnold,
he needs n man of common sense who
understands boys.
TNSINCERE EXPLANATION.
"And. to be perfectly candid, we
are not going to keep the boys
through a four-year high school
course unless we give thcm more
men teachers. The sentimentahst
who insists on all women teachers
for the high schools knows down
deep I'm his heart that he does so be-
cause they can be had for about one
half the salary that an equally com
petent man will demand.
''Now, If the sentimentaliGt is sim
cere, let his give the woman high
school teacher the same salary her
man equal would get. Very recent
1y / watched a man and woman
teaching in the same high school. If
am any Judge OF mere teaching, the
woman was superior TO the man, yet
her salary is just one-half the mans
salary. On what ground would this
In,