# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S1017
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES 819
“Resolved,

' “1, That we encourage the teachers’ colleges to continue to give

ecial attention to enrolling more male students;

“2. That all Districts and all congregations in each District be
urged to assist in providing an adequate and geographically well-
istributed supply of male students for our teachers’ colleges;

. “3, That a committee with representation from the Board for

Parish Education, the Board for Higher Education, the teachers’

olleges, and the Superintendents’ Conference be appointed by the

aesidium, the purpose of this committee to be

“a, To study trends in school enrollments;

“b. To propose adequate facilities for the proper training of our

future teachers;

“c, 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,

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

committee 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-