Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-09-30

can and should be improved ana bet
ter adapted to the needs Of the boys
and girls 81 the state, Governor vii
ham I. Harding said here today at a
h normal training high schools, The
conference was held at the Iowa State
Teachers college, and viii continue
f1ru tomorrow,
The governor also declared one OF
tho first things which must be done TO
solve the teaching problems of the
state is TO pay better wages to instTuc-
tors. He said In part:
"The largest and most important in
Stttution in the state Is the public
school system The investment in the
public schools Of the state amounts 70
more than fifty million dollars. There
L. an annual upkeep and overhead ex-
pense of more than thirteen million
| dollars. There are in the neighbor-
hood Of twenty seven Thousand teach
ers employed IN the schools each year.
I Nine Thousand Of these teachers start
new each year. and nine thousand OF
them autt the profession each yea.
THE public schools of the state
scuipped and manned as they ara. hold
I the future OF the state and nation IL
their control. for what the boys and
girls are thinking today the state VIII
b doing IN a few years. The ideals OF
citi,aAsh;p Ssa sho attitude that these
boys and girls win have toward nre
are the ideals and attitude which the
tescling force OF the state has toward
! life at the present time
Approximately one-har million Of
the future citizens OF the country are u
tbs schools each year. They gather
| their Inspiration from the teacher. and
their conception OF this country Is
based upon the teaching Of the public
school
. without fault-fnd;ng OF criticism,
7 say the schools OF Iowa can be i'm
proved and better adapted to the
needs Of the boys and girls Of the
state Tho backward schools can be
brought Mp 20 the standard of the
best we now have I hold that the
school should be made TO fit into the
Life of the boys and girls rather than
a school that has been preconceived. In
! other words, education should be
broad enough to train the youth for
the place which he or she Is to occupy
in life. and since we expect all of
them to occupy an important PLACE.
1t II but fitting that the last child be
given the best opportunity that the
public has knowledge of.
"A high school education or its
equivalent Is the least that the state
should be satisfied with for every boy
and every girl in the state. Thousands
and thousands of the youth OF the
state are not now receiving such an
education. Our program should in
ciude this. and to this end we are
hborin2.
The teachers have done their work
wen In the past and are entitled to
great credit for the splendid service
thsy have rendered to the state, but
when Ne realize that one-third Of the
teachers are new each year, we must
conclude that the profession has not
Deem made attractive enough to held
the men and women who are inclined
to the profession long enough for them
70 do their best work. This problem
Of making the teaching profession
Hfe work Is one for the state to solve.
SOne Of the first things to do Is TO
Fay the teachers better wages. Some
progress has been made along this
itne- The consolidated school, in some
places, is largely solving the problem,
for they are not only paying good
wages, but they are hiring the teacher
by the year, for the fun twelve months
period. and are furnishing homes for
them TO Live in
"The school problem Is important
enough to receive the very best
thought and attention of all of US"