The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-12-16
MR.. KELLOGG'S REPORT.


We owe an apology for not having,
drawn the attention of our readers to
this excellent paper in our editorial col
umns at the time it was published. But
a multitude of other duties interviewed
to prevent us from giving it that atten-
ton its importance demands. At this
late hour we shall attempt to give mere
ly an outline, or rather summary, of
this well written report:
The present years attendance, 243,
compared with that of previous years
makes very flattering exhibit, being
nearly % per cent larger than in 1869,
and nearly 80 per cent larger than in
1868. Had there been more room for
the accommodation ofstudents, it would
have been still larger than it has been.
And Mr.. Kellogg well says that the
greatest need of tho school at present,
is additional room. In fact it has simply
come to this: There must be more
loom provided or the school must be
content with its present growth and use
fnlness. In what manner this addition
al room can be best and most wisely
obtained the Principal very fOrcibly,
and we think, rightly, points out. He
recommends that a new building cost
ing from 100000 to 100000, be erected,
and let this be for the Normal School
proper; and then let the present build
ing be devoted entirely to the use OF the
Model School department This plan is
better one than that of charging the
present building, for variety of reas-
ons:
LIST. The present building is complete
in itself and not well adapted to receiv-
ing additions.
End. Additions that would be large
enough to meet the needs of the school
for more than two or three years cannot
be erected with tout destroying the sym
metry of the edifice.
Sd. The increased educational benefits
that would accrue from the erection of
n large, commodious and permanent
Normal School building justify an ex-
penditure of large sum for this pur-
pose, rather than a smaller sum for the
purpose of charging the present build
ing.
4th. The Model School department
needs and should have this entire build
ing, and il is so constructed and arrang-
ed that it would admirably serve the
purposes of the Model School.
The Principal makes. another sugges-
ton, the wisdom of which we can COM
mend with equal ardor and pleasure,
viz: That the course of study be so
modified, that on the one hand it shall
be extended to four years course, Civ
ing to those students who desire to be-
come thorough teachers, sufficient time
to thoroughly prepare themselves for
teaching in the higher departments of
our public schools, and on the other
hand be contracted to two years
course, for the benefit of those students
whose means are limited and whose de-
sire il is to prepare themselves merely
for the work of the Common School.
Confessing to n lack of that intimate
acquaintance with the objects sought to
be attained by Normal Schools, which
would make our criticism of some &C
count, yet we hope we may be par
doned for saying, that in our humble
opinion, the quantity of certain kinds
of the mental food with which this
course of study, admirable in most re-
spects, proposes TO feed the mind of the
student, might be increased without di-
minishing, in any manner, the practical
benefits to public school teachers. For
example, we do not see how the student
can in one short term acquire that thor
ough knowledge of Algebra which will
fit him to teach this branch successfully.
He can surely hope in this short time
to become familiar with no more than
the elements of Algebra, and while he
might be able, as a teacher, to solve for
his pupils any mple problem of the
list, End or Sd degree, he is likely to have
at least one ambitious student, who hav-
ing had a taste of this delightful food
might feel unsatisfled until he had cater
everything of the kind within his reach
and so coming with his teacher TO the
Problem of Lights, the Binomla
Theorem, Sturm's Theorem, or some
such knotty problem as any one o
these, he would be likely to find some
thing he could not digest, and which hi!
teacher would, just as likely, be utterly
unable TO digest for him. The SAME
thing may be said of Geometry and o
the Languages. We are conscious
however, that the best and most salts
factory results cannot be reached in The
short time ofthree years, and so we hop,
that the suggestion to lengthen the cur
riculum may be speedily adopted.