ELEMENTARY TEACHERS

Recent discussion of educational problems has discerned itself with the grade and preparatory schools, as the sources of many defects in the system as a whole. The failure of American colleges to offer adequate training to students, and the lack of maturity in the students themselves, can be traced to the defective organization of the lower schools. Until that organization is strengthened, the efforts of the colleges, although they may eliminate various evils, will be like the attempt of a man to lift himself by his bootstraps.

One of the major defects of the elementary schools arises from the calibre of the teachers which they attract, and the attitude these teachers have toward their work. The rapid turnover in collegiate faculties probably is surpassed by the lower schools. The chief reason for this is of course, financial, since the low salaries of the profession makes it distasteful or impracticable to many for whom it would otherwise be a congenial lifework. As a result, most teaching positions in the lower schools are filled by women, to most of whom, teaching is merely a temporary occupation before marriage. This fact naturally reflects on their value, since it discourages interest in the fundamentals of education and the zeal for sound experimenting, both of which are essential to progress.

Various states have recognized this situation, and have made half-hearted attempts to relieve it. It Pennsylvania the law compels teachers to continue studying while tin service. But the five days of study for every year of service, required by that state, is a measure of the problem rather than a solution of it. The courses offered by Harvard to teachers in service, leading to the degree of master of education, represent a more genuine attempt at improvement. Unfortunately, such opportunities attract chiefly those of superior ability, while the rank and file of the profession are not influenced by them. The central problem, to create a superior brand of personnel, remains hardly touched. A further step in that direction would be to restrict teaching by women to the first five grades. In the earlier years of education they are naturally more efficient than men. The latter, however, will only be attracted in sufficient numbers by a general salary increase. Until these things are done, it is useless to expect any decisive improvement in elementary teaching, and colleges will continue to do work which ought to have been done years before.