Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-23

nils who have not co1npieteu eho
| mentary school course, but any suoh
| provision of the law should Tor 'he
| present at least leave such compuisois
attendance at the discretion OF lne
| superintending school committee. 4-his
| would provide a means for keeping III
school those boys and girls who are
not allowed to work under the proVl-
ssions Of the child labor law, except pE
special permission through the issuing
| Of a work permit by the superintend-
ent of schools. but who are not re-
ouired to continue in school for that
year under the present statute.
Length Of Year and Wages of Teachers
AN increase in the average length
| in days of the school year from 166 to
10 is indicated by the returns. The in,
| crease may undoubtedly be attributed
| in large part to that change in the law
| fixing the minimum school year at 80
weeks The addition of an average OF
| four school days to the attendance or
| each child in the school system fur
| nishes a factor whose Importance
should not be underestimate. Not
only does this increase to an average
| Of "a weeks of school for all pupils re-
! fleet increased opportunity for them.
| but it also has vital effect upon the
| annual wages OF teachers.
| THE average wages Of male teach
ers per month increased $500 during
| the year. while the average wages of
| female teachers per week increased SO
| cents. While these Increases arc COM
| paratvely slight yet the added length
of the schoo' year brings these even
small gains into greater prominence
| and shows a tendency toward the es-
| tablishing Of a reasonable level. of
teachers salaries when figured on the
| basis of the amount received each
year.
The number Of teachers continued
| in the same school for the entire year
| increased by 260 over the year preced-
ing. thus showing a continuance of the
tendency toward permanency in the
teaching force. The number of teachers
who are graduates of normal or train
ing schools also increased by 81 Both
Of these gains contribute TO raising the
standard of teaching efficiency and
Justify further increase in the salary
budget. The number of teachers hav-
ing had previous experience is slightly
less than that Of the preceding year
but this does not necessarily indicate
a corresponding lowering of the eff
cheney OF the schools since the total
number Of different teachers employed
was correspondirely less.
"A considerable increase in the num-
Der OF teachers attending teachers
meetings is noted over the preceding
year, which in turn showed a still
further gain over the number attend
ing in the year before that. This fact
serves to show either that teachers are
voluntarily taking advantage more
than ever Of the opportunities offered
for professional improvement, or that
school authorities are emphasizing
more generally the desira bility of such
Improvement. Except for the fact that
the number of teachers who attend
| summer schools has decreased during
the last two years, the tendency to-
wards professional improvement might
be regarded as receiving an impetus
worthy of special mention.
Physical Conditions.
"Superintendents report a smaller
number of school buildings in good
condition than during the preceding
two years. This is an encouraging
| fact, since it probably indicates not so
ings in poor condition has increased.
| as that the standard by which such
condition is judged is gradually being
raised so that buildings which would
have been considered good a few years
ago are now recognized by school au-
/ thorities as not conforming to accept
able standards. 1t is of course neces-
sary, to recognize that an undesirable
haf Iofo
be remedied.
! There is probably no one matter
upon which special effort may be used
10 better advantage throughout the
state at the present time than that Of
school building improvement. The
programme should include not only
tho properly constructed new building,
but special attention to those school
houses which have long done duty in
the community which they serve, but
which are no longer in keeping with
the standards of the present day. The
number of such buildings, especially In
rural communities, is undoubtedly
greater than any ordinary census
would indicate. The interest which has
been shown during the past few years
in the improvement Of physical con-
ditions may we'll be made the founda-
ton Of a general campaign for such
improvement with some possible
changes IN the law which would serve
to encourage this movement
Schools in Unorganized Townships
The general situation as regards
schools in unorganized townships, re-
mains practically the same as for sew
eral years. While the quality of in
struction offered to the children in
these remote parts OF the state is as
good as that given in similar groups Of
schools in rura: communities, yet the
surrounding conditions in many in
stances are so far from what is to be
desired that some action on the part Of
the State must soon be taken to pro-
vide more suitable school buildings, in
a considerable proportion Of these
settlements. Their place as state
schools should be such that they may
be pointed out as furnishing mooel
school conditions. This can never be
true so long as the buildings in which
the schools are held are below the
standards which are set for other sec
tons Of the state.
cit has seemed unwise during the