The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-05-30

power, as the law now Is, 10 estaDllSh and main
tain such Institutions. Let us notice briefly
some OF the advantages Of this plan.
l. 1t will bring normal instruction into the
immediate neighborhood of oil the schools in the
state. Are there not thousands of persons. who
must and will continue to be employed as teachers.
that greatly need such instruction, but who. as
things now are, either not or will not avail
themselves OF the advantages of the central inst-
tuition? And for these it makes little difference
whether the number of state schools is one or
three. Most OF the reasons that operate against
their going to Normal, say $50 miles from home,
would De likely to operate equally against dis
| lance OF lO0 or even IS miles For manv of these
teachers the normal school must be brought so
near that the County Superintendents can, in
some degree, require the candidates for certif-
Gates to avail themselves of its advantages. 1t
must assume something Of the same relation to
the common schools that the county institutes
now sustain to them. An efficient county super
lntendent can, by gentle pressure, secure the
attendance OF most of the teachers OF his county
upon the sessions Of an institute. To secure at
tendance upon county normal school, if one
were IN successful operation, would be still easier
where such attendance should be found necessary.
Local pride, general interest in education, a
desire to elevate the standard Of teachers quail.
fications, would all combine with the rivalry
subsisting between different counties, to make
every district school.
2. Such plan will impart unity and homo
geneousness to the teaching in the different parts
81 the state, without imposing upon it any cast
iron samsness of detail. II there should be es-
tablished three separate coordinate normal
schools, our system of instruction would, SO far
forth, at once become tripls-headed. There
would be three independent, unrelated, ungrad.
cd institutions, each essaying to perform ali the
| fln nf all ind rs
But it is found useful in educational systems to
economic the forces at command by grading
by division of labor that assigns q potion Of
the work to one agency, and another portion to
ansther. BY the proposed plan, a similar ar.
rangement can be affected in respect to normal
instruction. The county and district normal
schools can devote themselves to the preparation
OF teachers fer tho common or district schools
and for the lower divisions of the graded schools
For this purpose their course of study NAV be
short, covering enc Or two years. The profes.
sional part OF it may be made to consist Of such
practical directions as would be needed in the
schools tor which the pupils are preparing, &C.
companied ny actual teaching, under careful su.
pervision, in model school. This will leave tn,
Normal University at liberty TO devote itself te
those who desire more extended culture, both
professional and general, and who wish to pre-
pare themselves for higher positions. SO called
|
be fit to take charge of the local normal schools
or Of the high schools in the more important
towns. And it would not be unfair to expect
that, in this way, it could and would furnish
much OF the normal instruction required in the
state. Hero, it is evident, would be an element
Of homogsnsousnsss. And yet, as the county and
district normal schools would be under the con.
troll OF local boards, the central institution would
have no influence whatever, except what it could
WinlH nv it's moral -.
B. In law it il said that the actual possession
OF a right, whether justly held or not, gives one
an immense advantage. The plan Of County
Normal Schools has the advantage of being al.
ready in successful operation. By the untirine
zeal and wise management of John r. Rberhart
Esq, Superintendent Of Cook, normal school
for that county has been in operation at Blue
Island since September last. 1t was established
by the Board Of Supervisors, and il maintained
by the county. Thus far It has been most un.
doubted success. Its principal is Daniel s. Went
worth, formerly OF the Dearborn School, Chca.
go, and We have tbs utmos: confidence in him
and in the enterprise intrusted to his care And
We ind similar feeling CT confidence among the
people and the officials Of the county.
But Cook was NOS to wear undivided laurals
long Peoria has followed closely in her course.
The County Supervisors, in conjunction with the
Board OF School Inspectors Of the CITY Of Peoris
have established similar iastitntion for tho
joint benefit OF that city and county, to be main.
tanned at their joint expense. They are now in
search Of live man to take charge of it. 1t is
expected to 60 into operation in April The
County Superintendent, Mr.. Worthingt on in his
able report the subjsct sets forth the relation
OF the school to the Normal UAivsrtIty somewhat
- we have aimed to state it in this papsr.
Thus has this great enterprise been inaugura.
ted, quietly and without a flourish ct trumpets
We believe it is a wise and practical sehcme,-a
real step in advance. Two great ca.anties have
already committed themselves to it. Others are
ready to follow in their footsteps. The wealth
Of this great state is increasing at an unprece-
denied rate. Many counties arc aburdantly able
to incur without feeling it, all the expense nee.
essary for the support of one of these schools.
And this is much less than. one might suppose.
Only the current expenses need to Be provided
Tor from the public treasury. In every county,
towns and villages will compete with each other
for the location of the school, and viii gladly fur
nish buildings and grounds.
In our view, it is essential that, rs our mate
rial forces are developing, moral and intellectual
energies should keep pace with thsm. Let our
wealth be in part devoted to education. And
our appropriations for this purpose shoald DO
large in proportion wsare rich. We mast not
allow our material possessions to eatgrow our ap-
plicances Tor soul-culture. If We DO our vast po-
litical and social machiasry will surely 20 to
pieces for the want of cohesive pswer,-it will
be crushed by the weight Of its own material
prosperity. RICHARD EDWARDS.