Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1920-06-11
CURRENT VIEWS ON the EDUCATIONAL
,..... CRISIS,

CuuCallOn III tnlS country Is
sick. 1t is not merely indiSposcd
it is sick. II has measles. whoop
cough, diphthcria. scarlet fever,
smallpox. Scrofula. crysipclas-likc
the man in Jeromc'S story, every
thing but houScmaid's knee. Per
hapS it has that. Accompanying
all these. and aggrcvatin. them. is
malnutrition. Education is under
nurishcd. Ii isn't getting enough
10 eat"
"A clinic to diagnose its various
ailments was held in Washington
recently. This clinic was convened
at the call Of the United States COM
missioner of education. Philandcr
p. CiaXton. II lasted for three days
and was attended not only by pro-
feSSiOnal Observation-Disclosures but
also by friends of the paticnt--citi-
zens and laymen. The doctors were
in the majority and controlled the
examination. The friends stood
around and wepi." SO wrote Mr..
Winthrop ID. Lane on THE Nation
al Crisis in Education" in the May
29th issue Of The Survey, a journal
vi NciiSti tNtANS opN
lished in New York.
Among some of the facts brought
out during the above mentioned
"clinic" are these: $4,000 school
buildings were closed hast winter
for lack Of teachers; between 300
600 and 100000 children were de-
privcd of schooling as result; the
average salary of all teachers in the
public schools of the country is
about $63O.O0; 10000 positions will
be untitled next year unless filled
by Stcnographers and high school
graduates; 40 per cent Of all rual
teachers Of the country receive less
than 100000; "a per cent receive
less than $4,000 and II per cent
less than $4,000 annually.
Compare these salaries with that
OF the average StenOgrapher at ST.
O0O.OO; or with bricklayer who
receives almost as much for one
days work as a teacher does for "a
weeks work; or a blacksmith who
earns $4,000 more than the aver
age teacher does, and we will not
wonder at the shortage of teachers.
They are not getting enough to live
on. What incentive is there for a
young man or young woman, no
matter what the measure of their
patriotism, to devote years and
money TO their preparation for
profession wherein the rewards
barely serve to keep body and soul
to2ethcr?"
Mr.. George ID. Strayer. of Column
bia University, wrote recently:
"A deterioration in the quality of
our public school service is upon
rs. We cannot hope TO raise the
standard of the work which teach
crs do unless we provide salaries
iicicncy. No greater calamity can
economic independence culture
and incentives TO professional eff
iiccncy. No greater Calamity can
come upon the nation than that we
should fail TO provide the kind of
teachers who will transmit 10 Amer
lean boys and girls The ideals of
our, democratic society,""
When the epidemic Of influenza
The eXiSencicS of war had made
sweeping demands upon its nurs-
ing forces. the public suddenly
realized there was Il shortage of
nurses and straightway medical
men and hospital boards began an
investigation of the cause. The
results were most illuminating but
even yet no practical plan has been
found for the relief of the situation.
Just as The public paid the price
ihen for its inscnsitivcness TO the
~ and well for the care and cduca-
lion of The hospital sludcnt-bodics,
so the public is realizing to-day
that the same neglect of IFS teach
ing forces is responsible for The
shortage OF teachers. Unless a con
:tructiTc program in the process of
education, particularly i'm the Gle
mcntary schools and in rural dis
trictS, is evolved soon we will fail
in our duty &c The children Of The
next Republic and who con fore
tell the results Of our neglect.
Mrs. Isabel l.OWman, of the Pub
lie Health Nurse magazine, in speak
ing OF The situation recently said:
III the country prizes education it
must not dcSpisc the teacher who
makes education possible. Bcauii-
ful school buildings. sci in bright
aud pleasant places, numerous
SChol books and elaborate schedules
Of instruction are but bricks and
mortar and paper pulp without The
teacher who animatcs the whole
movement and represents the
breath Of life. Everything That can
be done 10 attract fine men and wo-
men TO the professions having pri-
marily as their object The improve