The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-08-14

need to point out that in a State of
such wealth as New York. possesses,
the public funds should be more equit-
ably divided. Let the women voters
find the reason why they are not and
remedy it.. 1t is a question of simple
justice to all teachers, men and WOm-
en-. 1t may also be said that in few
parts of the Union are salaries made
for women or for men separately. The
average is for any who will accept
it, but naturally, since the remunera-
ton Of teachers has not kept up with
the national progress in other direc-
tons, men have begun to adopt other
means Of livelihood. Logically, when
the remuneration is worth while they
will return in large numbers. Even
now in States where the salary is fair,
as in California, the percentage of
men teachers is thirty-siX out of ev-
cry hundred. In New York but nine
out of every hundred teachers is the
average.
/; 1t would be worth while to draw
men back to the teaching profession,
| SNoo Sd1 A1CoJ 4A1SLA. ANOly lLouSllllul
mother has had occasion to regret thai
her o n growing into manhood are
under women teachers, no matter how
deeply she appreciates the feminine
teachers good points, her tenderness
and high ideals in the main. But it
takes a man to cope with a boys vag-
aries, impulses and waywardness.
That wise and watchful mother of edu-
cation in all the ages, the Catholic
Church, strikes the keynote of this
problem when she cOunsels that boys
under the care of the teaching Sis
terhoods should be yielded to men
when they reach their twelfth year.
Many experienced and clear-sighted
public men attribute the unWillingness
of boys over fifteen to continue at
school, because Of the women teach
ers.
Issue Depends on Women.
Is the old structure to be demolish,
ed utterly, salt sowed on the ruins
and a new, modern, progressive edu-
cational edifice erected? This is some
thing for the WOman proud of her
privilege to ponder. No use to leave
it to men, for they have had the mat
ter in charge all these years and the
result is not ~heartening. Women real.
ize more actually than men the folly
of getting people or objects because
they are cheap. Women should re-
sent that the bare suggestion implied
in he present percentage of teachers
in the continental United States,
cheapens them in the eyes of their
country's people and in their own
eyes.
They must face the issue %squarely
that already the best teachers have
followed the lead. of the men and OBJ
tanned more lucrative employment.
Only the older teachers are left
those not courageous enough to take
the leap-and while they remain a
certain amount of order must prevail.
But in the place of those gone, cheap
teachers are retained; they must be
cheap or better opportunities would
offer. This is the golden age Of Wont
an, and it she can do anything we'll,
she commands a golden price.
No one looks back on the past per-
formances of the schools with any de-
gree of enthusiasm. Are conditions
to descend to a lower plane? Ger
tainly, unless women. teachers from
the four quarters of the globe pour in
and are engaged. The same story is
told everywhere. For the past six
months of this year first-year pupils
| of the high school have been teaching
in the grade schools of Washington,
D.. c., and SO acute were the condi-
tons in the neighboring counties of
Virginia and Maryland that normal
school pupils taught month in and
month out and received the salary gen.
orally paid the graduate. What will
be the result when these unfortunate
youngsters must stand the test re-
CURED as they pass upward in. the
grades.