The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1916-02-11

eat for especial commentator. The
perience and modern training; and he
Is aided by a corps of supervisors, in
Guiding an assistant superintendent. a
primary supervisor with an assistant,
grammar grade supervisor with an
assistant. a manual training supervis-
or. domestic science supervisor, and,
finally, supervisor of rural schools.
"But every county in Maryland could.
up to the limits of its financial ability
do the kind of thing that Baltimore
County does. At bottom it depends on
the competency of the County Super
ntendent"
Training of Teachers.
In discussing the weaknesses of the
school situation in most Of the coun
ties, the Report points out that the
teaching force of the state is in high
degree miscellaneous On this funda
mental point the Report states:
Regarding the training of these
teachers. no general statement can be
made at all. There are the widest pos
sible variations in the training Of teach
ers doing the same grade of work-in-
conceivable confusion and lack of Sc
quence and order in their preparation.
"Of over 1900 white elementary
teachers in the state outside of Baltf-
more. 391 12.7 per cent? have had only
an elementary school education; 634
COT per cent? have spent one or two
years In high school; 1,031 1871 per
cent? have completed a four-year high
per cent. of the whole-have received a
standard normal school training.
One third of Teachers Unframed.
''Of the rest, some have spent little
while in normal school, some have re.
ceived an irregular normal schooling;
few have been to college and still
fewer through college. Grouping to-
gether standard normal school. part
college and college graduates. about 10
per cent. on the elementary teachers of
Maryland-nOt mOre-may be called
well trained: not quite One-third could
on stretch be called fairly we'll train
ed; at least one-third are practically
unframed. The body as a whole is
thus heterogeneous to the last degree"
Of the high-school teachers. it is
declared that not over twO-ffths are
adequately trained.
A revision of the law dealing with
the certitication of teachers is therefore
recommended as the first step toward
realizing improved conditions.
Teachers Salaries Too Small.
Salaries are too low to obtain we'll
trained teachers; they range from an
average of $271 a year in st. Mary's,
to $662 year in Baltimore County.
Three counties pay an average of less
than $500: four less than $3.50; seven
less than $4C6: seven less than $50;
and only two. Allegany and Baltimore,
pay in excess of $50"
School Attendance.
The attendance Of school children is
so irregular and uncertain that even
good teachers could not teach success
fully. AS the state is without an effec-
tive compulsory attendance law. many
children remain away from school al
together-large numbers begin to go to
school too late or attend irregularly
The precise extent of this evil cannot
be stated. for there is no correct school
census.
1t is recommended therefore, that
the state enact statewide compulsory
education law. including proper provi-
sions for attendance officers and what
ever else is required to make it effec-
tive.
Organization.
The schools of Maryland are support
ed in part by county. in part by state
taxation. Some of the counties. nOta-
bly, Baltimore, Allegany, Queen Anne.
and Worcester, support their schools
literally; the rest do less and some of
the most prosperous do much less than
they can and should.
Help Those Who Help Themselves.
1t is recommended by the Report.
therefore, that the state contribution
should in future be paid to no county
which does not levy for educational
purposes minimum tax fixed by the
Legislature. The more progressive
counties will. of course, continue to
levy more ashley now do. 8
Fl