The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-01-27

dental clinics, and the instruction OF
The people in the principles of health
and sanitation.
The states are to be allotted shares
of the appropriation on the basis of
total population according to the last
census. This provides a federal APP
preparation of 213l cents for each per-
son and requires an equal amount from
the state, making a total of 43 Il cents
for each person. This is a small per
capita amount, but for each state there
is substantial sum
Vermont IS population in 1910 was
300 $50. She would therefore receive
from congress for physical and health
education S77,42043 annually An
equal amount from the state would
make available 1854 ,S40s6 annually.
The war has made us newly conscious
of the number physically unfit for mill
tary service. Under the first seIective
draft, 130,756 men We're rejected for
physical reasons after examination
This is % per cent of the total number Z
actually examined by local boards.
Thousands of these are made fit by
proper treatment. The economic loss
due to preventable illness is not less
than 10 per cent of our total present
production When one considers the
loss of productive power due to, rem
edial defects and to i'll health that |
might easily have been avoided, he is
convinced that the sensible thing is for /
the nation and the states to cooperate |
| in an educational program that viii |
avoid this economic loss. and. at the |
same time, give to people healthy and, |
I : b.ir off.
The Preparation of Teachers.
Natural talent must be prepared for
teaching just as it is prepared for law.
lmedieine, or engineering. No state in
the union has gone far enough in a
Iteacher-preparation program to supply
tits schools with good teachers. More
than 100000 teachers, out of $4,000
in the elementary schools, are nineteen
lyears of age or younger. More than
100000 have had no schooling beyond
the eighth grade. More than 100000
teachers begin teaching in September
and less than one-third of these have
| had any special preparation for their
work. These immature, unprepared
pay the lowest saiaries-the rural and
|
Our Democracy cannot boast equality
of opportunity as long as the facts
cited above are true of our public
school teachers. The Nation is vital
ly interested and the States ought to be
Encouraged and helped by the Nation
to go on until there is good teacher
, in every school.
The bill now before congress pro-
vides $l5,000000 annually, and de-
mands an equal amount fy the states,
'.to cooperate with the States in pre-
pairing teachers for the schools, partie-
! ularly rural schools TO prepare
teachers, TO encourage more nearly
universal preparation of prospective
teachers, to extend the facilities for the
= improvement of teachers already in
h service, to encourage through the es
5 Establishment of scholarships and other
:, wise a greater number of talented
young people to make adequate prepare
r tion for public school service. and
o lotherwise TO provide an increased
r number of trained and competent
n teachers This money is TO be appor
a toned on the public school teacher
Y basis. and amounts to S24.10 per teach
a er for the promotion of teacher-prepara
ton
o Vermont had 1892 public schoo
: teachers in 1915 1916 She would re
s eeive s72,l07.20 for the purpose NAMED
IS above. Doubling this amount would
i make available a minimum of $l44,
II 2l4.40 for teacher preparation in he
e tax supported normal schools and col
ieocs
# If each state should equal the con
d gressional allotment with a sum be
c yond what is now being spent 70
Al teacher preparation, our Nation woul,
a soon Occupy the pre-eminence in publ
l. school education that it occupies il
y natural resources, production, manufac
h turing, transportation. wealth. and wal
The safety and Advancement Of Democ
lie raey demands no less than this for til
n sake of its 23,o00000 children.
t. Summary
The administration of the funds NJ
&c propriated by.S 1887 involves not oul
> clerical work but also Judgment. dis
y erection. and executive capacity. |
Is ought to be carried forward in man
:, ner betting the Nations interest i
~ these types of education For thes
l.. -