The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-03-02
STATE NORMAL SCHOOL.

of the State.
The teachers of the State, through
the State Teachers Association have
memoralized the General Assembly to
provide for establishing and maintain
ing a State Normal School. The
printed memorial, which has been
laid on tire tables of the members, con-
tains some facts and suggestions of
general interest to the people of the
State, as bearing upon the question of
popular education.
As evidence Of the want of uni
form standard OF qualifications for the
duties Of teachers, the memoriaists re-
fer to the reports of various local
Boards of examiners as found in the
tenth annual report of the State Com
missioner Of Common Schools as fol-
lows, the quotations being taken liter
ally.
"Moro rigid examinations are ne
cessary to increase the efficiency ofour
teachers, but if enforced, many of our
schools would be left without teachers"
"local directors arc too little acquaint-
cd with what constitutes q good teach
err" '-some are school. Keepers rather
than earnest, devoted teachers;" "the
qualifications of teachers and their
general intelligence arc, by no means
such as they should be )" SIN order to
supply the schools with teachers we
have been compelled to grant certif-
Gates to persons not qualified to teach"
"a large number of teachers are very
young, have little experience, and
their general intelligence is necessari-
ly limited )" "many arc farmers, who
keep school winters without any ap-
parent advantage, from year to year."
"threo fourths ofour teachers know
nothing outside OF the text-book, can
not teach unless that is before them,
and as like begcts like, this grade of
teachers will train up another genera
tion like them"
Testimony like this, coming from
every section OF the State, from some
counties where we are amazed that
such things can be- is startling, and
deserves most earnest consideration.
at seems to your memorialists, and
they state it as their deliberate con
victiOn, that there is but one etfectual
Ircmedy for an evil of such general
prevalence and magnitude, and that is
the establishment and maintenance,
! by the State, OF Normal Schools, where
men and women possessing fit capaci-
ties Of mind and heart and giving
proper pledges to pursue the profession
may be trained and qualified by the
State for tho art and profession Of
teaching. BY such an auxiliary,
which is as much part of the school
system as the teacher himself, the
State will by degrees enable every
county and township in turn to send
up its chosen candidates, and thus
provide themselves with an order Of
real teachers, who, by their superior
training, example, and power, will be
come standard, diirusing life and Wig
or ull around them; and thus, in the
process Of years, we shall have re
generated and lifo-giving school-sys
ten.
After citing preccdcnts, rs establish
cd by several States Of the Union il
maintaining normal schools, the me
morialsts add:
"Expcriencc tells us, trumpet tongu
ed, that teachers will not be trained
unless it is done by the State, and tina
, the dearest wants and interests of thu
State arc sacrificed while she neglcct
it
1T might as well be contended tina
the officers ofthc army and navy shoul'
be left to educate themselves in th'
arts of war, and that it is unjust to fos
= ter them at tho expense of others.-
For in what sense do they serve ant
defend this republic any more than tn
public school? IT, as the terrible ex
t pcricnce of these days tells us, all tha
the Government has expended upol
her military and naval schools ha
been we'll and wisely spent, intipitcI.
; more do the safety and welfare Of th
State demand that she shall see 80 tn
training and principles of those VIII
} are to defend her from the dangers G
ignorance, vice and crime, w ich ar
, pcrpctually in arms against her orde
and prosperity, May the time move
be when our State shall leoll back j
hopeless despair upon those who neg
: looted in season to guard against thos
l foes by organizing and training tina
= best of standing armies for a republi
S can State-an ample corps ofable, wei
: trained, professional teachers for a.
a the common schools of the land Iti
. as true of the States as man, 'Whatsc
4 ever y man soweth, that shall no ais
reap
"FinaIlyyourmomorialists beg leav
to suggest that tho expense OF main
;. tanning Normal Schools, will be at mos
0 but u triiling portion of tho annu'
{ school funds of the State, and the sma
@ per centum thus taken, will in a fe'
years be returned tonfold in tho ir
t creased power and efficiency of GU
. common schools. The school-taX III
:, der such auspices, will yield a doub
( value and we shall be enabled to boas
;. not merely that we have schools an
!. teachers by tens ofthousands, but tht
G each ofthcm is fit representative an
guardian Of the best interests of OF
n people
The House has referred the subjc'
Il to the Committec ON Common School