NEVER ENOUGH

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 73, 23 September 1930, Page 16

NEVER ENOUGH

EDUCATED TEACHEES

NEW YORK METHODS

Public ana private schools, at least around New York City, no longer take the bulk of their teaching staff from the normal schools, but select the more broadly educated graduates of liberal arts colleges, according to a report issued by Clyde E. Miller, director of the employment bureau at Teaehera College, Columbia University. Applicants for teaching posts m suburban schools, Mr. Miller revealed, niust satisfy their prospective employers on five counts before they can hope to land a job, says the "New York Times." These he listed as superior intellect, attractive appearance, winning personality, social graces and broad cultural background. "Add to the necessary a professional training consisting of a year or more's study and laboratory training in a good graduate school of education like that at Chicago University or the Teachers College here and the result is hard to equal, anywhere," he added. Despite tho unemployment situation among teachers, Mr. Miller's report said, there aro not enough teachers of the calibre required to meet the demand. The bure-aft at Teachers College receives calls by the thousands for students to fill positions from kindergarten teacher, to high school principal and college dean, ho said, but it is difficult to meet the demand.

"Though there are too many unemployed, teachers, there is an undersupply of liberally educated teachers," he. declared. "The growing number of country day and private schools offers a splendid opportunity to young men and women of the typo they require." Mr. Miller painted a picture of the now teacher who has come up to push the old typo of pedagoguo out of the picture. This young man or woman, he says, is a graduate of one of the standard liberal arts colleges liko Yale, Amherst, Wellesley, Smith, Mount Holyoke, or Barnard. He stands among the first 5 per cent, of his class in. scholarship. He has not specialised in education at college. Instead, he pursues a liberal course in the arts and science and after graduation spends a year or two in graduate work in education. What hurts the average teacher','ho said, is that she enters training school' directly from high school. Specialising immediately in education, it is mpossible for her to acquire the broad culture demanded by the modern school administrator.

"Normal schools have coins to recognise this chauge in attitude toward the. training deemed essential in a teacher,-" his report concluded. "They have come to institute three and four year courses in place of the usual two-year programme. .