The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-11-30
GOVERNMENT AID
 IN FINDING TEACHERS

FlbLy thousand teachers places are vacant and 12O.OO0 persons are teaching this year who have never before taught a class. Several thousand schools have actually clos ed or have remained unopened be- cause 1t was impossible for the local trustees to find teachers for them. The lowered standards in many places and the total lack of instruction in others mean a loss to the children of the nation which cannot be placed.
 The shortage of teachers affects nearly every state in the Union Many urgent requests have been made for the assistance of the United States Bureau of Education, for it Is clearly impossible for some of the states to man their schools with the teachers available in their own bor- ders.
 President Wilson has directed the establishment in the Bureau of Edu- cation of a new division to assist To- cal officers in finding teachers to meet the emergency, and he has written an open letter of appeal to all who are | qualified and able to teach, urging them to signify their willingness to do | so by registering with the new ! School Board Service Division of the Bureau of Education, in Washington. l Schools seeking teachers will be put in touch with registrants, with the l expectation of employment in the regular way. No charge whatever | dill be made to either the registrants l or to the schools for the service | It is well known that in every community there are women who for merly taught, whose husbands are
 now in the Army or in other
 branches of the government service,
 or whose homes do not demand all | their time. Such women are spec
 ially needed in the schools now. High schools all over the country
 have suffered from the demand for
 men of scientific training for service
 in munition plants, the chemical war
 fare branch of the Army, and the
 like. The shortage of teachers of
 chemistry and physics is particularly
 acute. It Is pointed out that this
 shortage might be met in many cases
 if physicians, pharmacists and other professional men would take classes in nearby schools for a pant of each
 day.
 Manual training departments have
 suffered at least as much as the
 scientific branches, for they require
 men as teachers more than any other kind of high school work. Here too, it is suggested by those il
 charge of the Bureau of Education | new division that the mart time Dlan might well be applied. There are
 many skilled mechanics who have , had high school education and would make excellent teachers if they would consent to assist even tempor- f arily in the work of the schools. ,i The Commissioner of Education , calls upon all these classes of peopl, f to perform a public service whicf , would be not only important to tn. } Nation but profitable to themselve. t as well, No finer display Of patriot { ism could be made than by teachin! during the emergency that now ex- l ists. All who are fitted for the l work are urged to heed the appeal
 of the government officers and tende their services to the local school au D thorities and to register with tht t United States Bureau of Education E Washington.
 The lack of teachers is expected |,
 continue until the return of the sol
 diers and others called away iron
 home by the demands of the var, lnt l probably longer; 1t will certainly las
 during the remainder of the presen d school year.