The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1939-09-14

QUESTION: Should more men
teach school?
REPLY: In 1896 20.6 per cent
of all teachers in public elem
entary and secondary scohols
were men. Many educators feel
that this proportion should be
| greater, not because men are
necessarily better teachers than
women, but because it Is felt
that school children should be
exposed to a more balanced and
normal school environment and
not develop solely under the
influence of women.
This implies, of course, men
teachers at least equal to wo-
men in ability and who look
upon teaching not as a stopgap
but as a lifetime profession.
Present day teaching is rapidly
becoming a highly specialized
profession requiring men and
women of high calibre and Of
fering considerable opportunities
of service. The trend towards
higher salaries and better ten
ure and retirement laws has
been largely in order to make
teaching more attractive to men
and women of this type.
QUESTION: What do teach
ers mean when they say 6-3-3
or 6-4-4 division of schools?
Reply: 6-3-3 means 6 years
of elementary school, 3 years
of junior high school, and 8
years of senior high school.
This division is rapidly Supplan-
ting the older division of 8 years
for elementary school and 4
years for high school.
6-4-4 is a new development
designed to integrate the jun
ior college with the public school
system. It means 6 years of ele-
mentary school, 4 years of junior
high school, and 4 years of high
school and junior college COM
bined.
QUESTION: What health
tests are there for youngsters
entering school? What is done
about those found to be low in
health?
REPLY: Because many chill
dren entering school suffer from
remediable physical defects like
ly to handicap their school car
GERS, schools have made it a
policy to have all entering pu-
pills examined either at the time
of entrance or during the sum-
mer before. AS a result of these
examinations parents and
teachers receive competent ad-
vice both for improving the
child's health and for adjusting
the school program to his phys
ical capacity. Where there are
remediable health defects sug-
gestions are made for their cor
rection. Fortunately most de-
fects are easily corrected II
found early enough. These ex-
aminationS usually cover the
child's general health and phys
ical development, the condition
Of his teeth, and whether his
sight and hearing are normal.
These examinations are adj
ministered in several ways. The
most acceptable method, accord.
ing to DR.. G. L. Brownel OF
Teachers College,, Columbia
university, is for the child to be
examined by the family phys
ician and dentist with the
school Authorities cooperating in
using the results. In this way
nome responsibility and proper
regard for professional service
in health matters are engen-
dered.
Another way is for the board
of education or health to employ
the physicians and dentists with
reports sent to the parents urg-
ing them to consult the family
physician or dentist for further
examination and corrective
work. Sometimes preliminary
tests of sight and hearing are
given by teachers or school nur-
Ses. Children with suspected
defects are then referred to
physicians for more complete
diagnosis. Occasionally a non
official organization pays for
the examinations. Such an Or
ganization is the National Con-
greSS of Parents and Teachers
which through its Summer
Roundup aims to provide
health examinations for all en-
tering school.
whatever way is used" DR.:
Brownell says, educators and
health authorities agree that an
examination should be given by
a competent physician and den
fist and the defects corrected as
soon as possible. A child's edu-
cation cannot proceed normally
if he suffers from painful, I'M
slightly, or efficiency reducing
health handicaps."
QUESTION: What is the ex-
tent of Federal aid for voca-
tional education in high schools,
trade schools and the like? Is
this growing or diminishing?
REPLY: For the fiscal year
ended June 3Oth 1888 the FEEDER
al government allotted grants OF
$21, TITS, 977.O0 for vocational ed
ucation below college grade. OF
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