HARVARD IN THE TEACHING WORLD

In view of the growing scarcity of men in the teaching profession, especially in schools where positions are open to women an interesting question arises--are Harvard men as a class, and the undergraduate in particular, less interested than formerly in teaching as a career? Since 1897, the University has had an Appointment Office for the purpose of placing Harvard men as instructors. During most of this time, the Harvard Alumni Association has maintained a similar department for securing positions in the business world. These two agencies together have obtained situations for between six and seven thousand men, of whom twenty-five hundred went into business. Unfortunately these figures do not adequately represent the number of persons in either group, for a large percentage enter the establishments of relatives or friends and so do not appear on the records of the Appointment Office. This much only can be said--for the University at large, from 1905 to 1919, there was roughly an increase of 40 percent in the number of business positions accepted as against only 11 percent in the educational field.

There is, however, one striking tendency among the undergraduates which may well account for much of the apparent falling off in the number of teachers. Fifteen years ago, not a few members of the graduating class went into teaching for a time before returning to one of the professional schools. This was perhaps due in part to a desire for a rest in preparation for the board graduate work, and partly to the necessity of earning the funds for that work. More recently the modern tendency to hurry has lead to a profound change. Men are entering the professional schools immediately after graduation, preferring to borrow the needed money and push themselves right through, rather than to wait and earn it by teaching. The present-day youth has no time to spend on stop-gaps.

It seems likely, too, that the growth of such institutions as our School of Education has had its effect as well. Teaching is becoming a profession, and the secondary schools have a preference for the professional teacher in place of the inxperienced and temporary one.

As a result of these factors, the majority of the places offered by the Appointment Office are taken by the holders of the degrees of Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy. These fill the higher-grade positions for which a thorough university training is essential. Figures are not at present available to show the connection between the degree held and the position secured in each case; but the increase in the number of persons entering the educational field (11 percent) is roughly proportional to the growth of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The general conclusion to be arrived at is, therefore, that the University as a whole continues to supply its usual quota of professional educators, but that the secondary school teachers who formerly came from the newly graduated classes, has turned directly to the business and professional callings.