Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1920-03-18
SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS
PROBLEM IN RURAL SCHOOLS

is causing some speculation as 10
what is the matter with our school
system and what there is causing
this shortage. II looks serious and
would be well for us to sit up and
take notice before our school system
collapses entirely.
Very few parents would deny their
children the same educational adj
vantages they have had themselves,
but we are not giving them these ad-
vantages in our rural schools as
they are today Times have adj
vanced and conditions changed tre-
mendously in later years, putting a
greater demand on our knowledge,
but our rural schools are on the same
level they were generation back,
and going from bad to worse, be-
cause of fewer, younger and less
permanent teachers.
We shall never get good rural
schools till we get more permanent
teachers, no contracts should be
signed for a shorter time than one
school year, and there should be
bonus paid for each succeeding year.
This would prevent the teachers be-
ing floaters who hire out for a two
months term, to see ''if she likes the
school" and then go to another
school for the next, to see il she likes
that one, and so on, much to the suf-
fering of the children of these
schools, where methods and rules
are constantly changing and every
thing on a temporary footing.
There are undoubtedly many good
teachers who could be pried loose
from their positions in offices and
stores, if they were offered higher
wages, more convenient boarding
places and attractive school houses.
We must make teaching so attractive
that the best ones will be induced to
stay in the profession, instead of
leaving us short and with young
and inexperienced teachers, who in
many Instances are dear enough at
the present wages. We must make
teaching so attractive that men as
well as women, will make life
work" out of it.
Many of our school houses were
built forty years ago and built for
the needs of that time, IL we consid-
er the changes in the dwelling
houses through the country in that
period Will it stand any COMPARE
son? Our school houses are the
same, only getting a little shaker
and shabbier each year while one old
dwelling house after another is torn
down to give room for up-to-date
houses with all modern conveniences.
We are all influenced more or less
by our surroundings and surely
teacher and children alike are infiu-
enced by the character of the school
room they have to be in day in and
day out.
Where consolidated schools are
out of the question, our one-room
schools should be undermined and
equipped in keeping with the times,
instead of poorly heated. dark and
dismal rooms, we should have we'll
heated. well lighted, we'll equipped
and cheerful rooms
The raising of wages alone will
not cure the ills of our rural schools.
The right kind of teacher will insist
on more sanitary and modern school
houses and convenient living quar-
ters, We must also interest our
selves in our schools and our teach
ers. so it shall not be one
horse affairs.
Why is 1t that our country is run
almost entirely by lawyers and men
from the cities. Why is it that we
legislature and congress? Is 1t not
the lack of education that is causing
this unnatural condition? We may
be intelligent enough and have
sound ideas, but our minds are not
trained to systematic and express
our ideas.
The idea that all a farmer needs
to know, is how to pillow corn and
feed the hogs, is out of date and does
not apply to present day conditions.
1t is everybody's duty to keep posted
on current events so as to vote in
telligently and help elect as good $
government as possible. But in or
der to do this, we must as children,
have systematic training. "A child
who has been knocked through
school in any old hap-hazard way,
does not very often have liking for
the right sort Of reading.
Why should our rural schools not
be so that they would enable any
farmer. II he was chosen. to go right
into the legislature and congress,
what ever it might be, with the wants
and needs of his fellow-men fresh
on his mind?
True enough good many farm
boys have become great men in spite
of present conditions, but they have
first gone through a process in the
cities, which has made them more or
less unit to represent the farmers.
Why should we have to go to the
expense of organizing the country in
to farm bureaus in order to get a
voice in the government, while we
have been electing and paying men
from each county, district and state
to represent us? Is it not because
the farmers have not really been
represented? The men who were
to represent us have not had the
farmers interests at heart.
The schools are the foundation of
civilization and good citizenship and
we should not balk at the expense
of keeping them on as high level
as possible.
]. c. ABILDTRUP.