NEED FOR TRAINED TEACHERS STRESSED

"Large numbers of teachers who are not competent professional students of educational problems constitute a menace to the national well-being of a democracy," Henry W. Holmes, Dean of the Graduate School of Education, stated yesterday. He proposed professional training of aspirants to teaching posts as a solution to the danger.

In his annual report, made public yesterday, Holmes stressed the necessity of a scientific knowledge of the various educational problems to a teacher. He attacked the numerous false standards employed by secondary school authorities in the selection of a teacher, declaring that a pleasant "beside manner" alone did not qualify a man to teach.

"The public ought to be warned," Holmes asserted, "and the whole educational profession united against the naturally capable but untrained teacher whose very success keeps people from realizing how important it is that educational problems should be studied and that all teachers should study them."

Holmes deplored the use of political influence to obtain teaching positions in public schools, and declared that if the superficial requirements for teachers were to be changed, then "institutions of university rank must lead the way in a very different and much more radical attack on the direct preparation of teachers for their immediate tasks in the classroom."

Three things which a prospective teacher might derive from professional courses in education, Holmes said, are: (1) an understanding of the part played by general intelligence in the progress of a pupil; (2) an understanding of the special mental operations and habits required by the course; and (3) knowledge of the personal factors which may interfere with school work.

Untrained Teachers Narrow

An interesting observation made by Dean Holmes was his assertion that the "untrained beginner. . . may arouse enthusiasm and interest which leads to a mistaken specialization in his subject on the part of students who ought for various reasons to be giving their main effort to a different subject."

In order that the University may continue its part in the scientific preparation of teachers, Holmes asked for a liberal financial endowment to the Graduate School of Education, emphasizing especially the need for better housing facilities at the School.

Asking for gifts to the extent of three million dollars, to take care of scholarship funds, research, and Faculty additions, Holmes concluded that "neither the fortunes nor the idealism of the graduates and friends of Harvard have suffered so severely that such gifts are not within the bounds of reasonable hope.