Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-03-03

ij5z1 Es|giE||';;s'lI, |l||i|I| h /,
distraction. .hs17oass
Y But'witNbht orpfng u ennmerate,
tho many hihdrsiices yNien i1ecessa-4
|rify arise, we WIN again suppose that
everything ppoceeds according to-
approved methods, until Fridayr-on'
which day Institutes generally ad-'
journ, after deyoting hall Of it'tD the
|ldiscAssion of Resolutions aud trans,
acting such 'business AZ may come,
before them: Now, the most That
can be clai,nsa is, that the Institute
has tcorked fesr days. II, is hardly
necessary t0Iay, that non decided re-
suits have bean effeated, in 50 short a
time 1aIspmk tothe knOwledge' Of
most who have had long eXperiatice
in Instituta, when 4 say that the
large majority of Teachers 60 away
)wstssI6( = 0stf1e
work they are to accomplish, and the
best methods Of accomplishing it,
than theyhad when they came
Many valuable ideas very likely
have,been presented; but they will
almost certainly fail Of, accomplish
ing much good, for lack Of time to
demonstrate and enforce them. , 1t
does not cnncera us 70 inquire what
the intention, OF the law may be; this
| is the almpst invariable and inevita-
bic result Of holding Institutes du-
ringa single week. ~. i admit that
they are dssigaed partly to,make up
for u deficiency which must exist
while lack Normal Schools. But
how long need we lack Normal
Schools, ii ahe money which is now
used in defraying, the expenses of
institutes could be devoted to estab.
them In convenient localities
throughout the State. 1t would be
Interesting to inquire how much
inDh1y has there been expended; and
although this cannot be exactly as
ccrtainel, it is safe to say that 1t
would have been sufficient to have
established and e,.tlomed twenty-five
Normal Schools, with = full corps Of
Teachers, md provided every con-
.venleixe 'lceessary for q thorough
training in every. department OF in
structiOn.'l 4 II Any one doubts this
assertion. he can |. satisfy himself by
finding ,he eaycragc cost of Institutes
ard siRaple. prohleill ~
muffin Mon. ] have stated the
average cost at 1000. Our co. Sup't
says, ] believe, that the last Institute
held in the County cost not far from
e, 800. # n a4rsaaas@a
Without dwelling on this point,
let us notice some of the minor Oh.
jections. In many cases the Winter
Terms have been i'm session only Il
few weeks, and are fairly at work.
An interruption at such a stage is
necessarily an injury. ss.
Many Teachers who attend Insti-
tutes, and receive compensation,
make but little or no effort to derive
any benefit from them. They attend
because compelled to, and arc hin.
drances rather than help. The Con.
ductor Sometimes fails, not because
he is lacking in information to com.
municate, bnt because he seeks to
deyelope some hobby, rather than to
demonstrate common-sense plan
which lacks only the merit Of being
unusual. uJ
II it IS urged that suitable men
should always be employed, the an
swer is that suitable men are not
always at hand. Men Of such quail
fications are usually engaged In
permanent employment, and cannot
leave their positions. ,ams .a54
Let US have Normal Schools, a
score or more Of them, In convenient
localities, 80 that those who desire
may qualify themselves at amoder-
ate expsase, and married improve
ment would be discernable in the
standard Of Teaching. Let there
still be held County or Town lnsti-
tutes, of a voluntary character, like
the Associations Of other professions.
Ii it is answered that many would
not attend such Associations, we say,
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