# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1956_S148
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Pape gan

148 SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES

are women who teach to “help out” for a year or more in order
to keep the school going. They may be well qualified to teach but
do not wish to become career teachers.

The remaining four are small groups of men teachers. Num-
bering 149 in 1955, they represent not quite four per cent of the
total teacher force.

Because the teacher need is great, quantitative considerations
have priority at this time; but quality considerations cannot be
dismissed from study. In this respect, Synod’s situation parallels
the situation in public education, which seeks to overcome an ex-
cessive teacher shortage by increasing the number of well-qualified
career teachers.

The continued expansion of Synod’s elementary school system
should be expected. The realization that education is not only in-
complete but hazardous without religious training has captured a
large part of the public mind; and whereas public education does
not know what to do about it, Synod’s congregations are in a posi-
tion to do something about it by establishing parochial schools or
by expanding the schools they already have.

The continued growth of Synod’s elementary school system
should be expected. Only 32 per cent of Synod’s school-age chil-
dren are enrolled, and this percentage can and should be increased.
Only 26 per cent of Synod’s congregations have schools, and the
trend is for many more congregations to maintain a school, in-
dividually or jointly. One half of the schools consist of one or two
classrooms; many of these schools will grow larger.

Assuming the continued blessing of God on Synod’s work and
on this nation, the growth of Synod’s elementary schools will de-
mand an increase in the teacher supply.

We will now undertake to estimate Synod’s teacher need in
the next ten years by

a) the number of additional classrooms that can be expected;

b) the number of teachers needed to replace those who can be
expected to withdraw.

Number of Additional Classrooms

Each classroom requires a teacher. By estimating the number
of additional classrooms that can be expected, it is possible to
calculate the teacher need.

In the past ten years, 1,603 classrooms were added for a gain
of 43 per cent. If the rate of increase continues, Synod’s school
system in North America can be expected to add -2,249 classrooms
during the next decade for a total of 6,128 classrooms in 1965. For
these additional classrooms we shall need 2,249 additional teachers.

TE NNN  RORst et Hb Seas oaks oun pert ape

“R
of thos:
other c

Be
oneself
itemize:

Tab)

Men
Installed

Men stu:
Other sy
Other m
Pastors

Subt
Anni
of total 1
Won

Women ¢

omen s
Other sy:
Regular '
Emergem

Subt«
Gran

Annu
of total v

In t
teachers
all resigy
the caus:
doubted]
also be a
educatioz
return to

“Bac
terminate
annually
withdraw
college ir