The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1943-05-08

minded may consider this a-poor
! time to be- .taftSng, ajasst apppo-
! priation fhcteaseS. that VII ffthhHf-ikffi H.
to the miliiahs Mha bill vi Rspre-
| sentative Jerry Collins of Sarasota,
while, calling for more money, de-
serves consideration as a sound
investment rather than an ex-
| pense.
He asks for this money to pro-
| vide pay for school teachers-not
schools, but school teachers. And
there is lot of difference. If such
an appropriation is made and it
is safeguarded so that none of it
will go for anything but the pur-
pose intended, it would prove con-
strnctive legislation and should
go a long way toward meeting a
situation in this state that is be-
coming downright serious.
Juvenile delinquency is a major
problem in Florida today and
promises to get much worse unless
firm steps are taken to check it.
Much as wenniay dislike to face
the nglyanfacts,, recent surveys
showoeappalling conditions, not
lin sthef larger centers alone but in
| many of our smaller commune
ties as weli.if ts15
Parents in many instances
neglect their children. Schools, in
adequately manned, often with.
young and inexperienced teachers,
find themselves hard pressed to
help improve the situation.
"Teen-age boys and girls are
found working in establishments
where liquors are sold, in spite of
laws intended to prevent such
practice. Children have been
found to be victims of venereal
disease in both grade and high
schools. A recent welfare survey
discloses that Is girls working in
a high school lunch room were
given Wasserman tests and four
reports were positive.
Discipline in many schools is at
a low ebb. Pupils fail in their work
and drop out of school for lack
of proper supervision and atten-
ton. Teaching staffs are shatter-.
ed. Glasses in some schools have
had as many as four or five differ
ent teachers since the term began
and others report teacher re-
placement of as much as 60 or 10
per cent. One school that began
the term with 35 teachers has al
ready lost 20 of. them, who have
resigned to take better jobs in de-
Tense work or offices where the
Fay is higher and the work less
difficult.
School teachers, underpaid be-
fore the war, are now in sad
plight with increased living costs
and heavier duties because of the
acute teacher shortage. They de-
serve consideration and unless they
get it, and soon, we may find our
solves burdened with a lot of fine
school buildings and equipment
and nobody to man such facilities.
While increasing the pay of our
school teachers would not entire
| ly solve our child delinquency
| problem, it would certainly help,
| for next to the parents themselves
| the teachers have a greater influ-
ence over our children than any,
one else. We have already lost too
s many experienced and valuable
). teachers and unless we show some
j appreciation of their work and eff
fort we stand 10 lose, a lot more. No
one can blame teacher for giving
up such work when she can find
t %9rs # Pl fafsg ts YRes@ sslsfy e
This problem of juvenile de-
iinquency is complex. It is not GO
ing to be easy to solve, but if we
|, retain our capable teachers and
succeeded in attracting others OF
experience and ability with better
remuneration, we will find we
have taken a long step in the
right direction, for teachers, giver
support and encouragement Of
parentS and school officials, car
work wonders in stamping out thi:
dangerous and growing evil.
Representative Mabry Carlton
lof Duval has given much thought
Ito the problem and has introduc.
ed number of bills designed tc
combat this condition which
: which threatens the health, hap.
piness and welfare of our future
! citizens
~ If enacted into law, the Carl.
|, ton bills should help materially
but laws alone won't solve the
problsns There is a need ,fol
muchs educational worksh AmohE
parents and it with kskq tfaeese
q binedk efforts of i sAIA Rt&b
and municipal officials. k4kAoe
/ authorities, parent-teacher groups
welfare organizations, civic club.
and the public as a whole if any
real Roadway is to be made.
The problem of Juvenile delin,
: quency is just as acute in othel
r states as it is in Florida-morC
: SO in some of the thickly popu,
i lated areas where families have
been uprooted and both uarent;