# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S93
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES 89

To propose plans for the judicious recruiting of students
for our teachers’ colleges.”

Pursuant to Synod’s resolution, President Behnken appointed
the undersigned to serve on this committee.

Under the chairmanship of the Rev. F. A. Schwertfeger the

ittee met five times. It has conscientiously tried to carry out

the duties assigned to it. The committee herewith makes its report
on its findings and recommendations.

Basically, the committee sought to find valid answers to the

following questions:
1, Is there good reason to believe that enrollments in our Christian
; day schools are on an upward trend and that these upward
trends will continue in the future?

2 Admitting that there has been a serious teacher shortage in our
school system, is there reason to believe that this shortage is of
a permanent nature? Is there danger of an overproduction of
teachers?

3, Assuming that there is at this time an urgent shortage of synod-
ically trained teachers, particularly men, how can Synod most
economically and most flexibly meet the present and probable
future needs? To what extent and in what manner should addi-
tional facilities be provided in order to meet the need for more
synodically trained teachers?

4, What steps should be taken to recruit more students, especially
young men, for the teaching profession in our Church?

The committee studied national birth rate trends, public school
enrollment trends, infant Baptism trends in our Church, and en-
rollment trends in our church schools. The committee believes it
has valid reasons for concluding that enrollment trends in Lutheran
elementary and high schools will continue on their upward trend.

On the basis of statistics the committee studied the teacher pro-
duction, the teacher demand, and the teacher shortage over a long
period of time in our Church. The shortage of men teachers and
the gradual feminization of our teaching force received special
attention. The fact that only 10% of our growing numbers of
women teachers are synodically trained was noted. The committee
concluded that our teacher shortage has existed for many years;
that it is acute at the present time; and that it will continue, or
grow worse, in the future.

The problem of increasing the number of synodically trained
teachers, particularly men teachers, in the most.economical and
flexible manner, received considerable attention. Alternative plans,
one involving a $2,000,000 building program at our two teacher-

“oe,