The Bismarck tribune., 1922-05-19
PLEA MADE FOR
EFFICIENCY IN
INSTRUCTION
KyellO Defends North Dakota
Teachers Minimum Wage Law
In Address at Grand Forks
AN EFFICIENCY STATUTE
Some Salary Inducement Must
Be Held Out If We Wish For
The Best Teachers w.

Grand Forks, N. d., May 19.-Pleao.
ing for efficiency in instruction IN
North DakOta's schools and declar-
ing that the North Dakota Minimum
Wage law was first of all an eff
cheney statute, A. M. Kvello OF LIS
bon. president of the State School Di-
rectors' association, defended the law
in the course tof an address upon
''What Shall We Do With the Teach
ers' Minimum Salary Law"
"The greatest need today in our
school system is efficiency" declared
Mr.. Kvello, in the beginning OF his ad'
dress. efficiency in administration
of it's financial affairs; efficiency in
procuring one hundred percent at
tendance; efficiency in keeping the
student in school for the entire term
and school year; and lastly, and above
all efficiency in properly training
our boys and girls while in school.
North Dakota is a great state. 1t has
rich resources of many kinds. 1t mas
the soil, the climate and the people
of temperament who can produce
great wealth. The figures prove that
notwithstanding the present time, we
are growing richer with each pass
ing year, Our wealth will most sure
ly and steadily increase. But with all
our vauable assets and riches, the
greatest asset that this, or any 9TH
er state can have is the growing gen.
Grafton of young men and women, its
future crop of citizens. However in
tensively and successfully we may cul-
tivate our fields, tend our herds and
flocks, and conserve and add to our
other resources. unless we at the same
time adequately cultivate and prepare
our growing crop of citizens, we will
he poor indeed. though we count our
other riches in billions.
"a lot of folks think that almost
anyone with the rudiments Of learn
ing can teach school. And 50 we have
eighth grade teachers. students with
a year or two of High School educa'
ton, or mere High School diploma
going out as the trainers of our youth.
We have the erroneous idea these
teachers are educated and equipped to
carry on their work. But the! prob
lens Of our school room today are such
as to challenge the best talent OF the
profession. It is no place for novice.
Not only an educational foundation is
necessary but also a thorough train
ing in the methods of child control.
The teacher must be something more
than mere instructor. He or she
must be leader and inspirer Of the
pupils if any influence is to be ex-
pected in character growth.
U. s. Has 100000 Teachers q.
"We have in the, United States sew
en- hundred thousand teachers. We
have nearly twenty-five million youths
of school age. Over one half OF these
are being taught by teachers without
training or experience. Less than one
fifth Of the teachers have as much as
high school education plus two years
of professional training. ~
mo one would think OF employing
a lawyer of pne or two years school
experience. More stringent regula.
tions are made for the tpactice of vet
erinary medicine than for the average
school teacher If you have physical
ailments you do not risk the danger
of being treated by a student or a
quack. The laws Of this state in
painstaking detail protect you from
any such calamity. Everywhere in
your personal property rights you will
find protection from loss and damage
through inefficiency of every kind.
During the war millions upon mil
lions Of dollars were spent upon the
officers training camps and the gen
eral mobilization centers. For what
purpose? The training of efficient Of
ficers and fighters. The government
was not content to send unframed
leaders into the war. The second
best or third best were not permitted
to serve Uncle Samuel But today
we are admittedly sending to the Lit
tie Red School House, the greatest
and most important training camp in
the world, over five thundred thous
and unframed leaders, expecting them
to take the millions of raw material
that comes under their control and
make out of them efficient soldiers OF
peace.
Discusses Mage Law
"But what has the Minimum Wage
Law to do with this? 1t is first, last
and all the time an efficiency statute
The title of the act is An Act to pro-
vide minimum amount Of training
etc. Section one provides that aftel
August 81, 1923, no one shall teaci
in the schools of North Dakota wht
has not at least a four Year higf
school education, or its equivalent
The following sections provide th'
minimum salaries for the variou!
grades of training. These range from
sixty dollars a month on a twelv,
months basis for those having les
than a high school education, up tt
$108.33 for the college graduate. Fo
each year of experience up to fiv
there is an additional fifty dollars
year. 1t will take only a slight cal
culation to figure the possibilities 0
laying anything on this schedule. l
there any wonder that there is no in
centive for the man or woman Of am
bition looking toward the future, er
tering this profession? The salar
inducement must be held out
we are desirous of enlisting the stron
and the capable.
"Can we afford to pay this min
mum?
"I1 North Dakota we have it'll
more than five thousand teacher
whom we pay about six and l1al
million dollars per an1cm. Last yea
we spent twenty-five millions for ad
mission to games and shows, fou
times what we paid our teachers
thirteen millions for soft drinks an
ice cream, twice what we paid ou