Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-01-06
Teaching Profession Faces Disaster

Teaching Profession Faces Disaster
In this country We have taken
much credit to ourselves in the mat
ter Of our schools. There has been
basis for such pride. Ono Of our
leading colleges recently discovered
after careful investigation that the
Students coming from the public
schools made better average for four
years Of college than the students
fitted at the private schools. Yes.
much had been accomplished, not
withstanding the war revealed a con-
dition Of iliteracy little suspected.
also the need of greater effort for ed
ucating and training the hitherto
alien element Of our population.
To meet these very obvious de-
mands-none may question their ex-
istence-teachers must be had. It il
equally indisputable that they should
not be merely those who would I'M
dertake the work. but rather those
carefully selected for it and careful
ly supervised. Anything less than
this would be both silly and danger
Gus.
But where may teachers be found
if none are trained, and how may the
fit be selected if there be none to Sc
lect. That such a condition of things
threatens many are already aware if
they have kept in touch with the
school affairs of their community or
If they happen to be alumni Of a
higher institution. Appeals are COM
Ing from all sources.
Analysing the situation throughout
the country, the committee in charge OF
the endowment Of Smith College, found
that of all the occupations open to col.
iege women teaching has at present the
least appeal. and in its findings has d 49,
covered adequate confederation for the
statement made recently by the presi.
who said I'VE are facing the possioili-
~ OF the humiliation of a profession "
Women, as we'll as men, it was found
are turning from teaching to enter the
world of business.
One women's college appointment bu.
reau reports that it has more teaching
positions than it can fila situation un.
paralleled in the history of the college
Professor Henry w. Holmes of Har.
yard said recently, There are some
6O.O0 teachers in this country. About
one-half of them are under Is years OF
age. About half of them serve less
than five years in the schools and then
turn their jobs over to the inexperl.
enced. About half of them had less
tnan high school education themselves.
About half Of them have never had pro.
are about 100000 children in this coun.
taught
THE older teachers are not leaving
their positions" said a member of the
Appointment Office at Columbia Univer.
sity; but it is certainly true that young
sion as they have in the past" In al
feast one of the women's colleges the
inpopularity of teaching is already re.
neGted. AT Smith. the largest girls
college in the country, one course ir
replaced a half dozen: and this" saws
President Nelson. happens to be q
good symbolic incident from our owr
curriculum which is thoroughly typioa
OF what Is happening all over the coun.
Woman has invaded the entire field o,
human occupations. But 1T is in few
cases that women teachers are being
paid salaries equal to those of men
And it is well known that the salaries
81 the men are too low. 1t is this con
d5on nat at,i is Threatening the annihila
have gone into other occuna tioDs