The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-05-30
County Or District Normal Schools,

from tho Illinois Teacher.
1t has been apparent from the beginning that
the Normal University is not able to supply tho
teachers required in the public schools Of our
state. The two hundred, or thsreabout. thai
annually pass from its classes into the business
OF instruction are but small fraction Of the
number OF such instructors annually called for
in Illinois. This fact has led some earnest friends
Of education to despair Of ever accomplishing the
needed results, the filling.up of the educational
ranks and the formation Of the proper public son.
timent by means of tho institution
And, indeed, the means do seem greatly dis.
proportisDed to tho work to be done. At the
present rate Of production. how long, it is seine
times asked, will it be before the thousand
schools Of our state are taught by Normal srsdu.
ates: And it is suggested that, until this is
done, it can not be said that the portions Of the
state unsupplied receive any benefit from this
enterprise set on foot for the use of the whole
people.
Many things may be said by way Of some
what satisfactory answer to these suggestions
Allow me to present few Of them.
/. 1t is impossible and doubtless undesirable
to have all the teaching in the state dono BY the
pupils and graduates Of normal schools. What
might be done with q complete system of such
schools like those existing in some of the Euro.
pean states, We can not say but as things now
with a., it is certainly necessary 70 secure the
cooperation in the public-school enterprise, of
other institutions Of learning Many Of these
are now doing yeoman's service in impro Wing our
popular education. Professors from so,ns Of our
colleges among the best instructors at teachers
institutes. The graduates Of colleges contribute
largely to enhance the dignity and improve the
efficiency of the schools.
2. Every true normal student when appointed
~ SCHOOL does something more (as, indeed
every true teacher does than the mere teaching
of that particular school. He becomes the cen.
tire Of a healthful educational influence, that ex.
tends 20 all the teachers in his vicinity. And
tins not by loud professions of superiority, and
demand that he shall be recognized as u leader
but by thorough, faithful and enlightened per-
formance Of his duties by quiet exhibition in
teaching AMI governing, of whatever excellence
he has ATTAINED by the special instruction he has
received. II ais normal training has made him
the master OF better methods than he would
otherwise have employed; it it has impaired to
HIM higher ana more adequate appreciation of
the dignity aud Importance of his work if it
has kind!ed within him nobler and more gen.
erous enthusiasm 10, teaching IF his normal
framing mas deno all this for him land surely
fhis is tho least it ought to do, then his example
and spirit will become ,ontagious. and a whole
township or county may thereby DO stirred to
greater achievements.
o. The members of the Iormal Faculty give
instruction, every year. to many hundreds Of
teachers who have never BEN students nc tho
University. This is doue at TIE State Teachers
Institute, and at the various county institutes
which they find tim0 to attend
From those and other considerations that might
be urged, it will appear that the Influence of the
Normal is by no means to be memured bv the
number Of schools directly taught By It's pupls,
It's power has much greater reacl than that
would indicate.
But, after ALL the amsunt of normal ;nstruc.
ton impaired IN the state is far too littl> Mapy
more teachers ought to receive special t,ain;ny
for their work 1t is unquestionably tru, that
Illinois needs more normal schools. AnL the
question is, how shall this additional specialin.
structon be furnished Shall it be by the state
at large or shall portions of the state tax then.
selves separately for this purpsseY For by tn,
people in some public capacity must these schools
be established, if they are established at all
Private enterprise can never meet the great wan,
that exists in this respect
Our preference is for u normal school in each
county or in each district formed for that pur
pose. In some portions Of the state one Of thes,
arrangements might be adopted, and in other,
the other. Some counties are abundantly large
enough and rich enough to maintain each
teachers seminary. In other sections union o.