Norwich bulletin., 1920-10-05

tional education. The most serious prob- lem in American education today is inc present condition of the public scbooi teacher The great bulk of our teach | CTS are poorly trained, immature and transient
 Fewer girls are going to the normal schools. Massachusetts has l 900 fewer 1 students in attendance than there were three years ago. Vermont is to close it's normal schools this year for lack of at tendants. Connecticut has about two- thirds of a normal class. The same re- ports come from all the states that the attendance at the normal schools is fast decreasing.
 The one hopeful aspect of the problem IS that the response of the people to the appeal for living wage for teachers is being and will be met The fact tbat l teachers have always been undernaid that most industries pay more that a teachers salary has been cut in two bv the increased cost of living. are arpu. ments which are just and fair for larger increases in salaries.
 1 Crowded Conditions Again I call the attention of the citi- | zens to the crowded conditions of ouI schools in certain sections of the town Last September it was necessary tn re. move the fifth grade from the High | street school and place 1t in iI,n1n. Pleasant Street school. To accommodate ] the fifth grade at Mount Pleasant if was necessary to place the first. second | and third grades on half time AS rec. i commended in my report of last year | believe the best solution of this prohlerr ] is the erection of junior high school which would give all of the new proeres. slve educational opportunities to our school system and at the same time re. iieve the crowded conditions, 1 Finances and Salaries. i Expenses for public education have 1 largely increased as in all other lines of activity. In 1915, the school depart ment expended s122,502 30; in 1913. fl was S135,791.35; in 1919, $167.352.4s ir
 1920 the amount was $1S2,776.Ss ana | o942s. Il The greater part of this increase i,
 for teachers and janitors' salaries. Tn,
 increase is necessary and justified be cause of the inadequate pay which ou1 teachers have received. In the countr,
 at large there is widespread shortae
 Of good teachers who have left educa
 tionai work for more lucrative. indust
 rial and commercial positions. In man.
 places the situation is acute and tn,
 only sufficient remedy is to offer salar
 ies that will attract and hold competen teachers. The generous action of tn,
 town school committee in the revision
 of our salary schedule places our salarie upon, approximately, the same basis a
 other cities of equal size. The minimum for teacher without experience wa
 changed from s7o0 to $9oO. Four hun dred dollars was added to the maxi
 mums The yearly increase was change from $40 to $50. All teachers wer granted a fiat increase of $20O for tn school year of 1920-21
 The janitors received approximately 20 per cent. increase.
 Kindergartens
 There are now eleven kindergartens 1 ! the town. Each director, with an as
 sistant conducts two sessions Tn
 morning session is from g to Il o'clock the afternoon session from 1.15 to q o'clock
 During the past year the director | have given more attention to the ire
 period, in which the pupils are allowe
 to choose any work they like to do All of the departments have been pr, I vided with a supply of materials for pr, s ject work in addition to the regular Xii
 dergarten equipment The project woI ! has been decided success in several I the kindergartens. Below fellows
 synopsis of a very interesting and d
 tailed report of one of the kindergarts ; directors.
 Kindergarten Project Work
 In order to cultivate reasoning pow in little children, We must provide the with conditions for play which will 8
 low them to develop as did the race