Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1857-04-24
REPORT
SELECT COMMITTEE
Of the Senate, on tie bltl, entitled es.4n
.Ref to- proride for the Due training Of
Teachers far the Common Schools"


he Select Committee, to whom was re-
ferred seuate bill No. -, entitled san
Act 10 provide for the cue training of Tea
ehels for the Common Sehoelzoi the State
beg leave to report
That the want of proper Schools for the
education and training of Teachers for the
| Common Schools of the State has been long
felt and acknowledged In. the infancy of
cur Common School System, this subject,
although lts Importance was always eonce-
aed, Was subosdinated to The primary OBJ
iect OF securing foothuld fer the system
Itself, which then encountered IN many stc-
tions Of the State bitter aud persistent
hostility. But as that system gradually
overcane opposition, aud established itself
upon permanent basis, those etTerts which
in It's eat rly years had been required for its
advocacy and defence were directed its im-
provemeut aud extension. Much has been
effected, and the system has a4acd peiat
where its efficiency and usefulness will be
most increased BY the adoption Of some
uniform method Of Normal instruction.
The policy Of Pennsylvania has been TO
create ard foster, 10 coLnexiou with her
Common School system, popular sentiment
upon wiaich that system and all It's improve
inents could lean fo- support. 1t is the
opinion of your Committee, that they are
not II advuncc Of that public sentiment,
are It's organ, in urging upon The Legisia-
tnre the propriety Of eugrafting upon the
system, al this time, suitable method for
the instruction of teachers, which will af-
ford the advantages and possess the sym
ne;ry aud efficiency OF State Institution.
1t is well known that the alost frequent
complaints which reach alt wLs are inter-
ested in Common Schools, Is Of the ignor-
ance and inefliciency OF teachers. Cover
aors in their messages, State aud County
uperiatendents, and District School Direc-
tors have made it the subject of constant
official notice. Without celebrating this
topic, your Committee would refer TO the
Reports of the Superintcndents of Common
Schools for years past, and more particu-
larly to tho Reports Of the County Super
inteudents for further Information. These
documents prove clearly--1st, That the
great wadt of the Common School system
is ga sufficient number of competent and
well trained teachers s''-and 2nd, That
public opinion demands that this want shall
be supplied by the establishment of well
organized Normal Schools under the pat
ronagc of the Commonwealth.
Should Pennsylvania incorporai uniform
system of normal instruction iato Der edu-
catiopal policy, she will only be following
the lead Of some of her sisters. The
subject has engaged the attention Of most
of the States of the Union NLere Common
Schools exist, and some of them have already
established schools which are rewardiug the
wisdom of their founders by elevating the
standard of education, increasing the eff
cheney Of the Common School and inprov-
ing the character of the teacher. New
England, New York, New Jersey, and
some of the Western States, have tried the
experiment with eminent success, and the
intelligent public sentiment Of those ST hs
recognizes in Norman Schools necessary
part of any wellorganized system of gen
eral education. But to Europe is due tie
honor OF their invention. Prus sia is the
mother of Normal Schools, and Il is worthy
of Pennsylvania notice that this system
was conceived and established BY the scho-
lars and statesmen Of that GsIman State.
foremost Of the kingdoms of Continental
Europe in general intelligence and virtue,
and in the perfection Of Lar educational
system from whence emigrated the ancestors
of large portion Of our population. As
early as the year 1850, Prussia had over
fifty Normal Schools; France nearly one
h1ndrad; Great Britain twenty six; and
about one hundred more were scattered