Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1933-09-28
Crisis In Education

which should mean that the public schools of the
country will be called upon to train more than 1OO,-
0Q0 children above the normal annual increase. Yet,
the public school plant OF the nation has not been
maintained up to previous standards and will have
70 meet the additional enrolment with fewer teach
ers and improper equipment.
Belmont Farley, publicity chairman of the Ma
tional Educational Association, lists the following
statistics in regard TO the educational facilities:
-Four thousand badly needed rural school buildings
have not been constructed. Eighteen thousand rur-
al school districts have not been able to make the
minor repairs necessary to keep buildings from de-
terioration. Two hundred and fifty thousand child
rn last year attended school part time for lack or
school room. Fifteen thousand children were housed
In temporary buildings"
Fifteen thousand fewer teachers are now be-
ginning to teach an enrolment which, 1t Is estImat-
ed, will be three hundred thousand more In num-
Der than last year. The work of the teacher will be-
undertaken on lower salaries, less supplies. deterio-
rating plant equipment and with the further dis
enlargement Of having to pay higher prices for
their personal needs. Figures from SO states indl-
cate at least $4,000 unemployed teachers.
There Is 9 very serious question as to whether
our free education system can continue says Mr..
Farley. THE schools have something more to fight
than the economic crisis. Opponents Of free educa-
ton have become so vocal In their demands that
parents pay at least for high school education that
the people Of the country may be compelled to a
definite decision soon.
Only S. per cent Of those eligible for nigh
school education were in the schools last wear
though high school enrolment was fast rising.
Elimination Of child labor under the codes will this
year send It shooting higher.
Education costs must increase one-thfrd or
one-half IN the next decade, or the system go by the
boards. Certainly there IS no immediate prospect
Of Increase. The recovery program of +ha schools
unsupported Institutions, will Inevitably lag two or
three years behind recovery in private industry
teachers are patriotic. and will do everything
~ their power TO further the recovery program OF
the MIA. But their own incomes are reduced. and
ehey nave no chance to have them raised this year
perhaps not for two years or more. At the same
tlme prices are boosted, and they are Inevitably
plnched between upper and neither milestone.
In prosperity days, the average teachers sal.
ary' jumping In s10,000-a-year or over superintend.
ents' on down to country school teachers getting
s5o q year or less, was s1,400 a year. Decreases
nave taken place so fast there Is no comparable fig
ufe- LUIS, as q matter Of board Of educational
pohcy' nave ranged from s per cent to so per cent.
As q matter Of practice, many teachers are NOT get
ting paid at all.
u TINS new deal works and prosperity re-
turns bringing better wages In industry. ambitions
teaehers VIII, OF course, desert their profession for
mat happened during the World War"
headeTs VINO send In contributions TO orr news
columns should not forget to sign their names This
~ required Tor the purpose OF Identification and az
an evidence OF the correctness Of the report. Names
VIII not be published, II preferred. but M uns,epaa
news article will appear In print.
farm prices nave gone up since March hut
what puzzles the agriculturists is the fact that 9th
er prices are going up faster.
II the country returns to normalcy a lot ~
peopie VIII lose their main excuse for not paving
their bills. ~
Hard work has never killed a man bnt ,bara
ire any number OF cripples who were injured. IN
lodging 1T.