The chart below looks at student in institutions and departments offering teacher education. It is subdivided into five blocks, one comparing actual numbers, the other four comparing percentages. The chart reads as follows:

First block: 108,200 White males and 310,624 White females were enrolled in teacher education programs.

Second block: White males comprised 79 percent of all the males enrolled in teacher education programs, and White females comprised 81 percent of all females enrolled.

Third block: Whites, male and female combined, comprised 80 percent of all those enrolled in teacher education programs.

Fourth block: White males comprised 20.7 percent of all persons enrolled in teacher education programs, and White females comprised 59.7 percent of all persons enrolled.

Fifth block: Males comprised 25.8 percent of all Whites enrolled in teacher education programs, and females comprised 74.2 percent of all Whites enrolled.

(- signifies less than .1 percent)

[TABULAR DATA OMITTED]

SALISBURY, N.C. - It's no secret that there's a woeful shortage of Black teachers in school systems around the country. But also disturbing is that Black male teachers are even more scarce.

In recent years, the education field has taken a big hit as more and more Black collegians choose to pursue other careers which offer higher income and more prestige. The end result has produced a drain on what was once a plentiful supply of Black teachers.

The effect of the Black-teacher shortage is haunting African American communities everywhere. Many observers believe that the lack of Black male role models as teachers and educators is a major factor in the rising crime rate among young African American males.

Mary Dillworth, senior director for research at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, says, "It's an issue that's been with us for more than a decade now. We started to see a decline in the early eighties."