Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-07-19
HINES TO MAKE
CAMPAIGN FOR
RURAL SCHOOLS
Country Teachers Are Paid
Less Than UnSkilled
LabOrerS.
MANY DO EXTRA WORK
Bv KATHLEEN RKEE.


Plans for an active campaign for the
purpose Of improving the rural schools
OF the state are being formulated by the
state department Of education under the
supervision Of L. " Hines, state super
intendent.
Mr.. Hines, who returned from the five
day conference at Bloomington, is very
optimistic regarding the results Of the
meeting.
Action by the trustees and the teach
ers who were present" he stated, 'is
certain.
Earnest interest. which indicates de-
Termination, was in evidence among all
the delegates
In discussing the plans for the cam
paign Mr.. Hines said that we'll Known
2en and women in the Indiana schools
win speak in the communities in all
\ parts Of the state.
There are 1881 one-room rural schools
in Indiana, as far as reports have been
received said Mr.. Hines.
Fully one-half of this number will be
without teachers next fall unless relief
is found. was his assertion.
SIX OUT OF EIGHT
EXPECTED To QUIT.
Last spring one young man reported
to our department that of the eight
teachers in his village school building.
six expected to abandon teaching in the
immediate future"
Mr.. Hines said that young men and
women are unwilling to enter teaching
as profession on account of the low
salaries paid.
The cost Of living" he said, has more
than doubled in the last three years.
while the increases in teachers salaries
for the United States in the same time
have been about Il per cent"
Hundreds OF teachers have answered
my ClestiOnnaires with such remarks
as I work in a drug store during the
summer or I do homework for my
room and board or 4 take in sewing
TO meet my expenses
Teachers are paid much less than
thousands of unskilled laborers whose
preparation is nothing in comparison to
the years Of hard study OF the would
be teacher, and who have no expenses
for professional upkeep,' he said.
The state superintendent said that more
than 100000 positions in the public
schools of the country are either vacant
or filed with teachers below the stand
ard.
I'm the last three years the attendance
in the normal schools and the teachers
trslning schools has decreased 20 per
cent" he stated.
County and district superintendent
from all parts of the United States
made a report TO National Educational
association showing a shortage of A.
GS5 teachers"
Mr.. Hines said that there is estimates
to be 6J0,O 900 teaching positions in the
United States. $1,000 of which are va
cant and 5000 filled by teachers below
the standard of efficiency.
TEACHERS CAN NOT
LIVE ON SALARIES.
IN three counties Investigated in In
diana" said Mr.. Hines, "a majority of
teachers said that they could not live
twelve months on the salaries.
Figures show that Indiana stands sec
Cd in manufacturing, third in production
of hogs. fourth in soft coal, third IN
corn. third in stone and from tenth 10
fifteenth in education, according to Mr..
Hines
"Our rural situation is also far from
encouraging" said Mr.. Hines. We
spend approximately twice as much on
the education of the city child as that Of
the country child"
Letters come to our Office complain
ing about what is or is not done in rural
schools Of a certain type"
Mr.. Hines declared that the time
should come in Indiana in the immedi-
ate future when the rural teacher should
receive as much as the city teacher; when
the rural term should be as long as the
city term; when the rural child should
have schoolhouse as good as the city
child
when we get these things said Mr.
Hines, we VIII have social justice
throug hout Indiana"
During the twelve months preceding
June 90 1919 we spent nearly S13, 600. 900
on amusements and self-indulgence."
Mr.. Hines declared that the people who
spent this enormous amount complain
that schools cost too much money.
At the same time they slave and
work In order to accumulate what they
consider a competence, they neglect the
education OF their children"