New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-03-02

then subject to the criticism and review Of the who'll
school, It is obvious that the investigation thus e1
cited, and the spirit Of emulation thus awakened
must be attended with the happiest results 90 WIZ
the grammatical and logical analysis Of Milton
Paradise Lost and with the exercises o. tne pup.s
practical punctuation similar criticism 10 equally In
structve and the msthodical discussion OF arithme
tic and disqualification of the divers modes OF solving
problems 10 this art intuvely train the mind 70 such
elaboratous of thought and facility OF expression a.
should always characterize professional tescner
youth.
! The Committee have been pleased to observe thai
the attendance Of pupils has been regular and uniform
| the roll showing steady average Of twentysix
and and that while there are striking
differences 10 their capacities, the spirit of emulation
! among them reveals only generous and mutually
beneficial rivalry.
study pursued in the schools are principally those
Taught in the highest department Of our district
schools The object Of this is not only to train cap
able corps Of teachers for these Schools but to perfect
the pupils comprehension Of those branches which
really underlie every system OF education. As soon
Model Department or School Of Practice to test and
develope the teaching faculties Of pupils and when
the State Legislature City Council shall have re
cognzed the institution sine qua non in the sys
TEN Of Southern education, and provided ample
means for it's support and encouragement, it may be
made worthy compeer Of the normal schools Of
Philadelphia New York and other cities enjoying the
blessings Of public education"
Signed by
R. N. LusHER,
For Executive Committee.
The following is copy Of the "pledge" signed by
pupils Of the Normal School, pursuant to section lst
eve, the undersigned, being DESTROYS Of receiving
instruction in the art and science OF Teaching, do
severally declare that it is our bona de intention to
engage in the occupation of teaching within the State
Of Louisiana for at least two years after we shall sew
orally have received diplomas as graduates Of the
Normal School Department Of the Girls High School
Of the First District of the City of New Orleans.
We also severaly declare that it is our intention to
remain in the Normal School for at least four months
from the date Of our admission to said school.
In faith whereof we hereto subscribe our names al
New Orleans at the respective places affixed to oul
signatures, and in presence Of the witnesses whose
names opposteto ours subscribed to this PLEDGE
At regular meeting Of our School Board, hello
July lst, 1858, the Executive Committee on the Nor.
NAL School further reported upon its successful opera
ton:
1.-THE average attendance during the months of May
and June has been twentyseven pupils, and of the
thirtyone originally enrolled on the register, but one
has withdrawn.
On the mental condition and discipline of the
school the Committee have but little to add to their
June report the department Of the pupils continuing
irreproachable, and corresponding advancement be-
ing perceptble in their appreciation of the benefits
incident to their connection wit such an institution
"The Directors, who were present at the closing
exercises Of the school on yesterday, are doubtless
satisfied that the characteristics Of its infancy beto
ken vigorous and brilliant maturity. Certain it is
that the mental antecedents Of large proportion Of
the pupils. and the vigorously inductive method pur
sued by their teacher, WILL after ten months develop
ment rear corps OF correct reasoners if not of prac
tical teachers and if the funds intended for the
| support and encouragement of the school can be
SO apportioned to justly the organization, in Octo
Der next, Of school Of practice Teachers Mode
Department, the Directors Of this District will Ger
tainly be able year hence to graduate a class oil
teachers competent to instruct the youth of Louisiana
in all the essential branches of English education
The summer vacation, protracted by an epidemic
Of unusual severity, delayed the re opening of the
school, but has not affected its general prosperity.
When the exercises were resumed In October twen-
tyfour pupils were in attendance and three more
admitted. At subsequent sessions Of the school
i've other qualified aspirants were admitted, making
the roll for that month thirtytwo pupils almost all Of
whom have regularly attended the various exercises
The peculiar provisions of the law and the best in
terests Of the school itself seemed to require re-
modelling of the classification heretofore observed.
Accordingly, two classes courses were organized,
designated respectively as the senior course and the
junior course !; the former organized for "gradua.
tion according to the apparent spirit of the law, at
the close of January February 1852 and the latter
1853. All the worthy members of the school will
then have been trained theoretical teachers within
twelve months from the date of their admission and
many of them possible have been exercised from
time to time in such schools Of practice the pri-
mary departments in our district schools afford.
In view Of the successful progress of the school,
manifested by the increasing number of applicants
for admission, and the general interest taken in the
exercises by the pupils attending, it was deemed
proper and expedent to ampfy the curriculum
Of studies by the introduction in the senior course
of moral and intellectual philosophy, and in both
courses OF elocutOn and penmanship, as special
branches. The services of an able and experienced
teacher were secured for these important studes at
the moderate salary Of 500 per quarter.
The foregoing details you will doubtless deem val
liable, nasmuch as they the progressive steps of
the first attempt made to establish Normal School
in State, if not in any of the other Southern
States You will perceive from them that the School
Board of the First District has cheerfully sought to
carry out the design of the State Legislature, in edu
eating corps of jealous and intelligent teachers
who shall individually seek to give higher standard
and more marked degree of success to an honorable
and useful profession.
The act by which the school is established is re-
strctive in its character and fails to meet all that
required Of a Normal School, The number of pupils
upon which the appropriation is based is limited to
twenty consequently we have been unable to claim
more than at the rate of one thousand dollars per
annum; Whereas by clause in section 4th, the limit
of the sum appropriated is placed at three thousand
dollars. The number of applicants has Always from
the first organization of the school, exceeded the
number of pupils allowed to each department. There
are upon file forty.seven applications for admission
to the school, OF this number, fortyone have been
enrolled in regular attendance, and but four have
left. At the close Of the session for quarter ending
December 3lst, 1858, there are thirtyseyen pupils
upon roll, of whom twenty are in the senior class
and seventeen in the junior. AS elsewhere shown,
the sessions were at first semi.weeky they are now
held on Mondays; Tuesdays Wednesdays, Thursdays
and Saturdays Under more liberal appropriation,
the number Of scholars and the influence of the insti
tuition would be greatly augmented.
Enough has been done to prove that the estab-
lshment of an independent Normal School in this
city would be eminently successful. The demand has
long been felt here, elsewhere in the South, for
experienced efficient and cultivated teachers adapted
to the climate, familiar with our institutions and at
tached to their respective places Of employment both
by interest and by pleasing associations. This want
our Normal School proposes to supply, in fair pro.
portion to the means invested for its support and the
general interest manifested In its success Something
has already been accomplished The school, even in
It's infancy, respectable for numbers and for scholar
ship, is mainly composed of graduates of our own
High Schools Many Of them are earnest and intelli