The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-02-22
'siRla aai From, the cincinlati Gszdtts.i ii'
Our common school system,
REPORT .son Normal schools.
synsPsis Of o. Report made by Hon. E.
n. white, copmis.iopsr OF Comm on

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In response to Joint resolution O
the General Assemblyiof Ohio, request
ing tho Commissioner of Common
Schools:to report on the best manner
of organizing Normal Schools, Hon. E
E. White has presented very full
and interesting account ofthe Normal
School system of this and other coun
tries, and has incorporated many ex.
Oelleht suggestions relative to the
proper preparation of teachers for
their Important work. .4es
We learn from the report that with
the yiewof acquainting himself thor
oughly with the system in all it's oper.
ationg Mr., White visited eleven dif.
ferekt schools, and had Interviews and
correspondence with many of the
most prominent educators. both of this
country, and Of Europe The English
Training Schools, as they are called,
correspond very nearly to our Normal
Schools, and similar institutions exist
in many parts of Europe. - arq.
In this country there are now Nor.
NAL Schools in operation in sixteen
different States; numbering in all
twenty 4Aree, and in these States the
schools are supplemented by Teachers
Institutes. sa.dIa. .
The plan on which most of the State
Normal Schools are organized is sim
Pfc In States which have not State
Board of Education, they are estab.
lished under the direction and control
ofa Board Of Trustees, called, in some
ofthe States, "Board of. Normal Re-
geata, who are empowered toadeter.
mine the coarse of instruction and
training, to employ teachers, etc. The
carrcnt expenses. including teachers
salaries, fuel, repairs, ETC., are met by
State appropriations Students pay
theirown board and other contingent
expenses, the same as pupils do who
attend any other public school. The
lawia Rennsylvania requires that each
normal school shall have boarding
housescapable of accommodating three
hundred boarders--and board is thus
furnished the pupils at a very reason,
ablcprice. In England the students
at the training schools are expected to
payf from one fifth TO one fourth of the
cost Of their instruction and maintcn-
ance, the balance being betrayed from
funds contributed by friends of the
training school, and by money appro-
priated BY tho Government.
Tho conditions of admittance are q
fair knowledge of the common branch
es, and in some States, on intention on
the part Of the pupil to engage in
teaching. The course of instruction
generally occupies two years. The
great and single object Of these
schools is to increase the teaching pow
ers Of the student, and all means 10 Sc
cure this end are adopted.
So far as the results of Normal
School training are concerned, Mr..
White declares the testimonysto be
most conclusive and abundant, Both
in Europe aud in this country, all
unite in bearing Testimony to their sin.
gular adaptation 20 the end proposed
Hon. Edgorton Ryerson, Chief Super
intendent of Public Instruction in Up.
per Canada. says:
nWhereycr Normal Schools have been
established, it has been found that the
demand for regularly trained teachers
has oxccededf the supply which the
Normal Schools have been able to pro.
v,de. This Il 40 IN the limited States
and France: Il "a most painfullv and
prcssiucly 40 iu England Ireland and
Scotland / was Told bv tho Head
Masters of the Great Normal Schools
in I,ondon in DubIin in Glasgow and
Edinburr that such was the demand
for pupils Of the Normal Schools as
teachers. that in MANY instances thew
found it iupossible 10 retain them in
tho Normal Schools during the nre.
acribed coursc. eyon when Il was i'm.
lied "a 4 vcar'' ,.fa7 '.'T
Horace Mann bcors witness 70 tho
l;,ra cIsirIancv of tba Normal schools 'of
M.sssrhu.ct;s Tho Ro.rd of |Trvs.
tees AZ t6S State Normal School Of
Rbnda IsIan9 n !. io,a renort soys. y
"The almost uniform testimonv is,;n
favor Of tba marked snnerioritv Of
teacbers from tbe Marina, Schools - =
The ssntimopts a. tie nsonja in The II.
calit;es where thcv have ~ obt ranges
from tba simnle oynression of .favoSo
blaSto tbo stronoest and most ontbns;
.s.;o 80 $3.50 49, ss.S ot sa,;sc,a,;on SS' ''