The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-07-14
WHITEWATER
SCHOOL.
NORMAL
THE
From the Whitewater Register.

The Whitewater Normal school was
opened for the reception of students two
years ago, and the attendance has been
steadily increasing from the first, making
due allowance for the lighter attendance
during the summer term. The total at
tendance during the present year is sta
ted as follows:
Normal Department.-Ladies, 11S;
gentlemen, 70 total, 1873.
Grammar SCHOOLGIRLS, 45; boys 81;
total, 49,
intermediate Department Girls, 20;
boys, 20; total, 40.
Primary Departmental Girls, 20; boys,
| IS; total, ~.
Aggregate attendance in all depart
ments, 361!
Under the able direction Of the Presi-
dent, Prof. Oliver Arey, and the highly
accomplished Precpteress, Mrs. Arey,
the institution is nobly accomplishing the
object for which it was established, name
ly, the qualification of young gentlemen
and ladies for the work of teaching. The
whole course Of study, and the whole sys-
tenn OF instruction and discipline, are such
that while the students acquire familiar
ity with the branches they will have to
teach, they have at the same time the ad-
vantage of the best practical examples
constantly before them, and of daily prac-
y tice in imparting instruction and in school
organization and government. For the
purpose Of affording this discipline the
lower departments are indispensable. In
! these departments the Normal students
, ha We frequent practice, not in such way
as to make the younger pupils the victims
OF empiricism, but in pursuance of estab-
Ilished methods, and under the eye of
competent critics Nor is this practice
confined to the lower departments. The
students frequently conduct the recita-
tions of their own classes, and the as
sembly room is in charge of one of their
number the greater part of each day.
Didacties," or the theory and practice
of teaching is not learned from text
books, but from example, from practice,
and from frequent lectures delivered by
the President In this way the mind of
the student is constantly directed to the
subject, while he is not tied down to any
rigid and arbitrary system
I Of the eleven instructors connected
with the school, five are gentlemen, inclu-
ding two pupil teachers, and six are la.
dies. ALI of them seem highly devoted
to their work, and posscsessed of high
order of qualifications.
The school building is fine structure,
worthy of the site; commodious, cheeful,
and well arranged. The supply of scien-
tific apparatus is meagre, and there is al
most no liabrary A good deal must yet
be done in these directions before the
school can fully meet the end for which
it was established. The excuse for defc-
iencies in these and other particulars is
the limited income from the Normal
School Fund. This excuse can hardly be
excepted as valid The proceeds of the
fund should, in our judgement, be first
expended in bringing the established
schools to the highest point of efficiency.
1t is not the part of wisdom to expend
large sums for more buildings at other
points, when by so doing existing schools
are kept destitute of needed liabraries,
cabinets and apparatus
! We should like to speak more in detail
of the manner in which the Whitewater
institution is conducted, but we must
close. Suffice to say in conclusion, that
we never saw better school, or one bet
ter fitted for its special work. The
modes of instruction are the best, the in.
structors are peculiarly qualified for the
work they have in hand, and the students,
if we may judge from the excellence of
their department and recitations, are dis.
posed to avail themselves fully of the SUI
perior advantages they enjoy