McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1915-06-18
The County High School and
Misunderstanding.

present is the secondary school. The
high school is, or should be, the center
Of our school system"
The obligation Of the high school is
three-fold. Touching the elementary
school below, leading to the college
above, and fitting for life the mass Of
citizenship that find here the last
chance, the high school stands as the
guarding of more vital interests than
any other educational factor.
The high school must train large
number of teachers. They cannot at
present be trained elsewhere. The
last United States report says: There
is not State in the Union which has
Normal schools enough to meet the
demand for new teachers. 1t is nat
hral, therefore, that the State De-
partment of Education should look
to the high schools for cooperation
in teacher training"
the report also shows that in the
United States as a whole only 1927
per cent. Of the rural teachers have
any professional training at all, in
the South less than 20 per cent. and
in Tennessee less than l6 per cent.
The per cent. of teachers in McNairy
county who have had professional
training is almost negligible. In Ten
nessee 1900 new teachers enter the
service every year, Our Universities
and Normal schools do not graduate
this number, and those they do gradu-
ate do not 60 back to the rural schools
to teach. Where, then, must the
rural teacher be trained? In the
high school. Fifteen states have en-
bodied this plan in the laws Of the
school system, and require that the
high schools give teacher training.
Last year twenty high schools in
Tennessee gave such courses, and this
year the number will be greatly In
creased. The leading experts and
best educational conferences sanction
teacher training in the high school
The National Educational Association
declares, "The most available agencies
for training teachers for the rura
schools are our public high schools.
But some may say: Are the higf
school teachers capable Of training
| the teachers for the rural schools?'
In every first-class high school in Ten
nessee there is at least one teacher
who will compare favorably with any
teacher Of the Normal schools. Tit
high. school principals of Tennessee
are graduates Of Peabody, Vanderbilt
Tennessee, Sewanee, and other stand
ard colleges, and can we'll look afte
the training Of the rural teachers.
/ We have shown that the high schoo
can train the rural teacher, so let u
come to local conditions,
First: Does the standard Of tn
rural teacher in McNairy county nee'
raising? Do we need better prepares
and more efficient teachers in thi
county? We most surely do, and n
one will dispute this fact.
| Second: How can we best secur
| better trained rural teachers? B
means Of a good, strong county hig
school, which gives strong teacher
training course. Such school woul
be free to all the teachers of tn
county and the course of study coul
be made to meet local conditions an
would greatly raise the standard Q
, the rural teacher in this county.
Last year over so per cent. of on
teachers failed on the examination
THE number who received certificate
/ was not as great as the number
positions to be filled, hence mar
were given temporary certificates an
allowed to teach when they were NJ
, qualified. We should not blame ii
teachers too much. Perhaps the
, never had the opportunity to do al
! better.
We have shown that the high scho
!. is a very desirable place to train Il
rural teacher, that the Normal schoo
; cannot meet the demand. that educ
tional authorities say the high scho
should assist in training the rur
teacher, and that the need of bett
trained teachers for this county
1T urgent. Should not this county ma
r some effort to provide school whe
y its rural teachers may prepare thel
Ill selves for the important work tn
lie are to do.
Or -