Buchanan County bulletin and guardian., 1868-01-31
NORMAL SCHOOLS.

On the eQ Il inst, Mr.. Wilcox in tro-
ductd a I'LL in the House for the es.
tAblishment OF Normal Schools, pro-
,iding for normal department in
each county and making al appropri-
alton for the same. The bill was or.
dcrcd printed, and we hope toreceive
a copy in time TO explain its features
in our next issue. Other bills for the
establishment Of normal schools have
been introduced, and will Of course
receive due consideration from the
committee on schools, to whom they
have all been referred. We infer
that the necessity for normal schools
is so fully realized by our legislators
that the only question win be As to
the best eystem to be adopted. Shall
ii be single normal school for the
State, school in each quarter Of the
State, one in each congressional dis
trict, or one in each county. New
York for many years had but single
normal school, whose benefits, al
though entirely inadequate for that
great State. We're SO apprcciable that
other schools OF the same character
have recently been established. Wis
consin has adopted the plan of pro-
viiins normal school for each Con-
gressional district. Iowa has estab-
biished a State University, which has
been particularly valuable to Iowa
City. snd not particularly valuable TO
the State. Iowa also has an Agricul-
tural College building, which has
cost great deal of money and which
We hope will be used for the leciti-
mate purposes of an agricultural
school, a sequence as yet unattained
in most other States where sgricul-
tural colleges have been established.
But one Of the most impo..an. edu
cational interests Of the S.atc-the
suitable preparation Of teachers for
their werk-has been left to sickly
normal department, OF the State Uni
versity and s;ineiiy endowed Teach
ers' Institutes. What We want now
is a thorough system whereby the
teachers Of our schools may be so
well prepaid for their work that
money will not be regarded as thrown
away in employing them.
We know nothing dei;site Of the
provisions Of the bin introduced by
Mr.. Wilcox: but If i, favors The es-
Establishment Of county high schools
lnow authorised By law q, which oil
children Of suitable age in the coun-
ties, passing examination, may bead
mitted, free Of charge. securing q
higher education than is furnished BY
The common schools, and establish
ing normal departments in connection
with them, il should receive the most F,
serious considerat: or from the General
Assembly. Adop, such system. and |
entirely remodel the plan Of cur State
Univ srsiiy. by establishing BONA .fsde |
normal department. which shall pro-
vide suitable teachers for the county |
high SCHOOLS, and We shall possess q |
system more eifeciually graded and |
more complete than that possessed by
any other State. We believe il would
prove less bGrdensome and more truly
economical than the establishment
ard maintenance of large normal
schools in each Congressional district.
The State University buildings could
then be made practical benef; to
the whole State and save large oullays
in building The true plan, then, is
An thoroughly organized normal
school in connection With the State
University. and county normal high |
schools.