The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1864-01-02
For the News.
THE NORMAL SCHOOL.

!
wonderful interestin regard to education.
An examination of the huge volume of
Kansas enactments the first three OF four
years of our history will show US more
charters for colleges and other institutions
oflearning than can be found in the history
of the first fifty or hundred years of our
older States. According to the maps, the
whole State of Kansas was dotted over with
towns, villages. and cities, and the ratio Of
their increase was beyond all human COM
prehension. Almost every place had its
College Hill. College Street, DC. Emporia
even had College before it could boast of
dozen houses. Fremont, too, only four
miles distant, had her College Two hun
bred years of vigorous life struggled all at
once for birth, and at last found itself
sprawling on paper. Bat the fabulous age
has passed, and it has been ascertained that
Kansas is neither the Garden of Eden or
Edorado. The air castles of 1857 and '56
have, to a great extent, collapsed, and it is
found necessary to work as hard here to Sc
cure anything valuable, and il the same
way, as in other States.
By a recent enactment the State Normal
School has been located at Emporia Very
many, doubtless, think this small matter,
and view it only as way of easing the dis
appointment of losing the University. In
regard to the circumstances which led to its
location here [ have nothing to say, pro or
con. But l wish to call the attention of the
community to another point, namely: The
relation the Normal School ought to sustain
to the Common Schools of Kansas.
Tile Common School as q College for the
million. Very few parents have the neces-
sary means to give their children a collegi-
ate or university education; indeed, had
they the means, it would be both ;mpracti-
cable and undesirable, for many reasons;
but every parent, CT nearly every one, would
be glad to give his children a good e17uca-
ton, such as may and ought to be secured
at Common School. Thousands now re-
greet the limited opportunities of their early
life, and are ready to sacrifice anything pro-
yided their children can have good adVan-
tages. It is to the public schools that these
look with great interest. Many children Of
poverty there are who long for opportunities
to secure q sound, thorough education.
Academies and higher institutions are be-
yonG their reach. The father, perhaps, has
fallen in the service Of his country, and the
children are left to the cold charities of the
world and their own efforts.
Our Common Schools, then, are the
channels for cultivation of general inteIi-
gence, the diffusion Of knowledge, and a
good foundation for business and higher
culture. The Common School, then, is
the peoples College. Whatever, then, NAV
subserve the interests of this institution
contributes to the welfare Of the peoDle.
This IS the broad foundation Of public edu-
cation upon which even all higher institu-
tons must rest. We can, for time, live
without Colleges and Universities, but we
cannot get along without our free schools
But, what is the present condition Of our
schools? Our people are showing a com
mendable interest in the erection of school
houses. Emporia may wei be proud of her
school house, ard our neighbors in the
country have even been ahead of u.s. But
in regard to teachers we are in a deplorable
condition. We have but few good teach
ers, very few who possess the requisite
knowledge and capacity to teach. Know
teacher, Snt aptness to instruct is no less
important. EsnY suppose that if the
teacher knows little more than his pupils
that is sufficient This is very grave mis-
take.
A neighborhood makes arra6g ements to
have a school. The children have not seen
the inside of a school house for three, four,
and perhaps FIVE years, consequently are
very backward, and parents feel very anx-
ious that something should be done. But
who shall be secured as teacher? \ hard
question. Finally an individual in the
neighborhood is selected who, six or eight
years ago, was reputed a good scholar
Since coming West he has hardly seen a
book; but the children all know him, and it
is reckoned that he will DO The children
learn something, of course, but form any
number of bad habits, which must be Grad
icated before making much progress.
Throughout the State l doubt whether we
have one school in twenty-five that is what
it ought to be. Considering the cost of the
school and the Importance of a good edu-
cation, every one can see that we ought to
have the best possible teachers. Every one
knows that under some teachers children
learn two or three times as much as under
others. Now what is the reason? Simply
such individuals kaoa0 hoa0 to teach. Some
have a natural tact to instruct, with others
such ability must be acquired. An indi
vidual may be great scholor but poor
teacher, but never no scholar aud good
teacher. a good teacher will have some
thing to teach, or, in other words, will be
master of the science; in the next place he
viii know just how to present his subject
in 50 simple a manner that aceak mind can
not fail to comprehend Il. From what has
been said, it is obvious that the teacher
should be not only one who will enter into