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Show Raise Standard for Teachers Federal Bureau Is Studying the Question of How to Accomplish Ac-complish It. MANY INADEQUATELY TRAINED Grade School Classes Taught by Persons Per-sons Who Have Not Even High School Diplomas Trained Teachers Barred. Washington, D. C. Commissioner John J. Tigert of the bureau of education edu-cation and his assistants are studying the question of how to raise the standard of training for school teachers teach-ers throughout the United States. Thousands of women and men en- rc trusted with the education of large groups of children in the public schools lack what the federal otlicials regard as an adequate preparation for their work. Doctor Tigert said. In the grade schools many persons are teaching classes who have not even high school diplomas, according to a recent investigation by the bureau bu-reau of education. According to the federal standards a mau or woman to be properly equipped for teaching should have at least a normal school education. If the teaching is to be that in high schools a college or university uni-versity diploma should represent adequate ade-quate training. In other words the training of the teacher should reach considerably beyond the subject to be taught. Many Are Barred. Thousands of men and women who were adequately trained to teach are now barred "from the schools, it has been found. This is a result of the war. When living costs increased faster than ' teachers' salaries large numbers of teachers who were well equipped for their work were compelled com-pelled to step out of the schools 'nto the other other positions that would pay better. Many were practically forced out by lack of means to remain, re-main, although their first interest was with the schools. There was a national shortage of teachers. . Economic depressions followed. fol-lowed. Persons with hardly any training train-ing stepped into the vacant positions. At the same time the level of salaries paid teachers began to be increased. More and more Inadequately trained persons went into the schools as teachers. teach-ers. The shortage of teachers ceased to be a problem. There are now enough, so that few schools need remain re-main closed for lack of men and women wom-en to conduct ' them. Standard Lowered. But the teachers who are Inadequately Inade-quately trained are holding the positions. posi-tions. And many persons who studied to make teaching their life work are without positions. School boards generally gen-erally feel that In ah fairness those persons who accepted positions when there was a teacher shortage should be retained. The standard of training for teachers teach-ers thus has been very largely lowered low-ered throughout the schools In all sections sec-tions of l he United States, the reports show. The correction of this situation may take several years, according to Commissioner Tigert. |