Milford chronicle., 1921-04-29
II TAKE EXAMINATION
FOR RURAL TEACHERS
WHICH is ABOUT HALF The NUMBER
NEEDED in new CASTLE COUNTY
APPEAR FOR TEST.
SMALL SALARY THE REASON
The ANNUAL SUMMER SCHOOL AT The
UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE WILL
OPEN ON JUNE q.

COincident with the announcement
that the annual summer school at the
4 University of Delaware to train wo-
men as teachers for the rural schools
will open on June 27 and close Au-
gust 5, comes to light the fact that
there were only seventeen applicants,
One-half the number necessary, who
appeared at No. School on Saturday
and took the preliminary examinations
to qualify as teachers in schools in
New Castle county.
This shortage of applicants for po-
sitiOns as rural school teachers has
! for years been one of the problems of
the State Board of Education, and the
answer was given in the last report
of the State Board.
''The greatest hindrance to filling
the teaching positions in the State
is low salaries" the report states, and
this handicap has already jeopardiz-
ed our schools"
The report points out that while
25 young women were taking the
teacher-training course in the State
last year, one of the commercial
schools in Wilmington reported an
enrolment of about 1900 students,
and that at least 1900 young people,
largely from Delaware, were drawn
from almost every school district in
the State, with the expectation that
after graduation they would secure
positions Immediately at salaries rang
ing from 5000 to $1,000 a year.
Poor Surroundings
Other reasons given are the made
quate surroundings of country school |
teachers, lack of social life, ETC., but
the most important reason is ''inade-
quate salaries" At present more than
$50 teachers in the rural schools of
Delaware have only provisional GER
20 per cent of the entire
staff. Other states, it is
are making desperate efforts
10 remedy these conditions, and it is
that many persons who have h
chosen teaching as a profession, are t
eaving Delaware and going to other
states where conditions are better and i
he salaries are more adequate.
Courses especially arranged for t
'ural teachers will be one of the many I
eatures of the annual summer school '
It the University of Delaware, and it f
5 proposed by those making the pre- v
lminary arrangements for the school t
o emphasize in every way possible
he Importance of efficient instruction 8
York in rural schools. 1t is realized z
hat the raising of the standard of e
eaching in the rural school is the
My way to bring Delaware up to B
here the State should stand in the
EDUCATIONAL world. Two or three of
le rural school supervisors will give
le courses for rural teachers. ts
A modern model rural school build W
lg, which will be used largely for h
work, the gift to the r,
from the Service Citizens II
Delaware, and during the summer II
'hool session it will be run as sixth tn
rade rural school. Professor w. A. hi
'ilkinsOn, head of the department of
iucation of the University of Della h,
are, will be director of the summer m
hoOl again this year, and Miss d1
ary E. Rich will be dean of the hs
omen. They, with DR.. Walter Hulli- Ie
IN, president of the University, have be
en working on the preliminary W;
ans for some weeks. If
The Service Citizens will arrange tn
other lecture and entertainment w,
ries, and Director Wilkinson expects in
e largest enrolment this year that tn
S ever attended the summer school. ed
Another examination will be held thi
No. 1 school next Saturday when in,
is hoped the quota for New Castle lin
unity at least, will be obtained.