The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-12-06
IEAJHEB'SH0RTAGE
INCREASING.
Walter Barnes gives Some
Figures About West
Virginia

SFe not out of the woods
declared Walter Barnes, pres
at iof the West Virginia State
a4ion association, I'm a Letter
ma written to member Of the
tire vino had inquired about
IN acher shortage situation IN
state. ~
aRv thatI mean" continued Mr..
EjSfnas. "that so far as can see
IN .fS not any better this year than
H wac list. and It shows no indioa-
ton 81 being, better next year-tnat
&, unless something radical ID oone:
a lew more persons were certified
81 GRANDMA ton this past summer
Ia ~ y4efe certified the preceding
kar. 3ut&t1iis Increase would not
ssnpoVide f6r..the increase in school
pouifia&itd, and as an onset We
must seep 1t in mind that the nor
m. schools and other teacher-train
ma institutions Of the state are
tsduattng only about half as many
sacIiers as they did u few years
aRo. Here are the exact figures.
ne have An West Virginia six nor
mai schools and Six denom1natlonql
SCHOOLS adding teacher-tratning.
Now IL 1917 these twelve schoo!s
graduated 43S teachers. IN 1919
$3.50; In 1919, 245; in 1920, 27l. It
IA fTom our, normal schools and 9TH
Nv situation OF this kind that our
toachers Come. Is 1t not evident
4 chat for the last four years we have
been falling farther behind? The
bI6n sAdoes not realize it apparent
iyijbut the fact Is we are in q soTi-
ous Situation.
4 y. 4 AZ pr esent," said Mr.. Barnes,
thbTs are almost eleven hundred
schools in West Virginia without
t0schers, probably twenty-five
thdGsand boys and girls without
any schooling at all this year. Many
OF G1eae same schools .hadsno teach
efs last year and will not have next
year unless something effective Is
{ done. The effect OF the lack Of
schooling for these years upon the
fsiiiSence and morality OF the
next generation Is incalculabIe
ttIst when we were congratulatlnS
ourselves that we had some hope
Of stamping out illiteracy In West
Virginia there comes this scarcity
6t teachers. 1t will set us back n
detStle or generation unless 1t is
attended to Immediately.
Nothing will solve this problem
hut money, more money, lot more
moncyS-we may as VOL make up
our minds to that" concluded Mr..
Bhrnes In his letter to the legisla-
Tor, Laws must be passed at this
session OF the legislature which will
provide revenues sufficient to per-
BIade capable young women ana
ESPECIALLY capable young men TO
enter teaching as profession.
iSeople seem to think that the in
ct3eases in salary during the last
tWo or three years have sufficcd
This is not true at all. There are
gmpre designations this year, more
tehoAers aretqultting the profession
for good, and there is more rest
lsbsfiesss- and resentment among
teac6eFs than before. Teachers
simply are refusing to work for
mi aFdly wages, when they can
I. obtafnf much higher wages in occu-
pStIols which are not nearly so
dilficnlt and unhealthful. 1t was
Thought that ~1nuny men and women
who had gone into the army or
some phase Of war work would
hayeS returned to their schools by
tliis time; but in comparatively few
cases sIaYes they done this. Other
ceilings have, offered them moro
money by the month and more
working months in the year, and
hey are not coming back into
tsaching. If the citizens OF West
Virginia want their children taught
by Capable well trained teachers,
they most provide the money to
pay these teachers living wage"