New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-08-17
EDUCATIONAL CONVENTION.

THE AMERICAN NORMAL SCHOOL ASSOCiAiioN IN
CLEvELAND-COURsE OF STUDY-C0SDifioS
OF OUR SCHOOLS.
CLEVELAND, Ohio, Aug. 1J.-At the opening
OF the American Normal School Association, this morn
ing, the large hall OF the High School building was nearly
filed Excluding the local attendance from Northern
Ohio, New England perhaps the section most largely
represented. Numerous representations OF the press
also present including the editors OF several ed
cst0nal periodicals and two lady reporters The Pres
dent OF the Association. Prof John Ogden, Principal OF
Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn. read an address set
ting forth the character and purpose Of Normal Schools
The principal paper OF the morning the I" Report
on q Course Of Study for Normal Schools" by W +.
Phelps Principal OF the State Normal School. winons.
Minnesota The report states that the difficult and
responsible part instruction is that Of the young in
primary schools and in those grades ofinstructon near
est allied it, therefore the necessity for special train
ing Of teachers lies at the base OF system OF public
instruction. Not less than nineteentwenteths
OF children in our country fail to reach the
high schools and colleges during their brief educa-
tional career; for this reason every effort within che
power OF and the people should be made TO
improve and perfect the agencies OF elementary unye
sy instruction The graduation OF the work OF instruc
ton in our public schools necesstates similar gradaton
in the agencies for the special preparation OF
normal training schOOls0no for the preparation OF ele
mentary teachers. and another for school 0cers anu III
structors in the higher departments The course OF
study in our normal schools has become too expanded
students are overburdened and diverted from their
knotty problem District schools the only college
for the million. Not having trained skill IN them; we
shall fail altogether and in succeeding in them we snail
succeed altogether there that the seeds Of higher
culture must be sown The Committee take the respons
the Improvement OF elementary instruction.
peciay in cities and larger towns yet AZ whole the
hands of ignorant, unsked teachers The children are
ea on tne grg Natal 1 e or moral aspn@
swell the ranks Of the lawess and to recruit the army
ignorant voters, who are menace TO the peace AIn
serenity OF the country. The report here aiudes
vast increase of iterate voters largely the result
OF our schools Poor schools and poor teachers
are in the majority throughout the country Mnittuies
OF the schools poor that 1t would be a. wen Tor tue
country they closed They add nothing ~ the
intelligence or power OF the country" says the report
they afford the sad spectacle OF Ignorance III ne
stupenduOs fraud Of sefperpetuatlon az the puDc ex
nense The reports OF the examination at Annapolis and
West Point cited in evidence where more thln ~ per
meptary examination These selected candidates.
from Congressional district: me report recon-
mendsa curriculum for two years lot Tue Nora ocno"
The Hon B G. Northrop, Secretary OF the Board Of
Education OF Connecticut opened the discussion ON the
report a spirited speech Of IS mnutes he spoke OF
the value ~ poor schools even, ana Thought mch was
then went on TO urge extension Of the curriculum
reported. OF drawing, he said that Napoeons decree
that drawing should be taught in all the schools ad nad
greater than any other order that man had ever
Issued IL made every other nation to-day tne pa'ross
needing drawing had to send 10 Gernlsny l0r "oIh-
He also urged obiectteaehlng TO quicken the
| oracular system. 40 that child, by seeing a
word would know IL it spelled right. Children he
thought might be trained to know more ana be better
fitted for the world at u years than most now are AZ Is
Mr. Thompson OF West Virginia wanted tine course re-
dlced. Mr. d. Arey of Wisconsin spoke 10 a similar
effect Mrs. RikOff " Cleveland made few womaniy
remarks behalf OF mothers To what teachers shoul
be instructed teach physiology 80 that we might rst
have healthy, merry children, she thought the MOST
necessary Her remarks were greeted Win applause
A committee was appointed to wait upon President
Grant and invite him attend the session or the Associ
alton. soon after the Presidents presence was an
nounced. and imprOmptu reception was held After
the reception essays read by Miss Della A LaOp
principal OF the Cincinnati Normal School, on The
Place and Value OF Object Lessons" and by George b.
LOOMS Vocal Music in Normal Schools" Tho fol-
lowing officers elected for the ensuing year; ) IL
White Peoria, ILL.,, President; G. G. Rounds OF Maine,
stone of Akron. Ohio. and r. Thompson OF west
Virginia Presidents The remaining officers are the
same as last year The evening occupied with re-
ports of Committees and the reading OF paper by Miss
Jackson of Philadelphia on the treatment OIL OUNCES