The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-03-11
Anti A(u,1upulist.
from the ST. Paul Dispatch.]
HORSE LEECHES COME AGAIN.

has already passed the Senate. 1t IS
under consideration in the House and
will probably result as usual-a fight to
cut down the appropriations ending with
their retention as adopted by the Senate.
In these annual controversies the salient
points are often overlooked in the discus
sion. and on the ples that the schools
must be maintained the appropriations
90 through. The true purpose Of Nor
NAL School is not to educate young men
and women but to take them
after they are in measure
educated and train them in the aptitudes
and theories of teaching. The work
should be professional, not academic.
These professional schools should not
waste their power upon those who can
vet be profitably sent to good grammar
school. or upon those who have no aptl-
tude either for learning or teaching, nor
upon those who are in years and attain
ments so immature as not to know for
what class of labor they are mentally ana
physically adapted. Yet an examination
Of the pupils and the standard OF schoiar-
shin in the Normal Schools of this State
will disclose the fact that, until the last
year of the course, these schools rank
little above the grade OF me grammar
aopart,nput of q aveU organized graded
school. The most of the present work
Of these schools is that OF giving their
pupils almost the rudlments OF an educa-
lion in place of training them as teachers.
In the absence of other convenient schools
they furnish a free, yet to the State
costly education to lew am
bilious youths VINO ,eslue
IN their immediate nelghborhood.
Their doors are thrown invitingly open to
resident pupils, to attend and pay tuition,
without obiiging themselves to teach, ana
also to those who become miffed at the
healthy discipline Of the city graded
schools or whose natures and sentiments
are too tender and refined for contact
with the rough rabbe of the mixed
public schools Such pupils these State
nurseries give loving care and coddllng
From their lofty position OF STATE Iastt-
tmfions they look down upon the local
CITY schools with lordly and patronizlng
air. while the laborers in the city schools
Justly knowing the intrinsic superiority
of their own educational work, quietly
laugh at the shoddy aristocracy of their
1 peirhbors. These resident tuition paying
/ pupils, by reason of their irregularities,
and those who by a low standard OF ad-
l mission are coaxed at the expense OF the
State ITO come in and fill up the seats,
are a continual draw back to the school
They are fitted for academic instruction
only and they occupy the time and atten-
zion of teachers to the disgust and hind
rance Of more advanced pupils. Could
these be removed the professional work OF
the school would be largely increased.
The total enrollment" and annual show
ing of the schools, under the present
policy, will not admit oil II
Rnt the loss Of tune which
the imperfecrly prepared pupils cause IN
the professional work is not the only III
result. The unity Of purpose, the pro
fessional work which should characterize
Normal instruction, is broken IN upon
and it's efficiency impaired. The we'll ane
the lily prepared must be grouped an6
instructed together.
Further, these young and lily prepared
Il pupils are led by the snortnesS and char
acter of the course to regard httl
knowledge, and good deal OF ability t.
show that little to advantage, as the CRANE
desiderata Of a teacher. They 60 ioril
arrogating everything to themselves an,
are able TO learn nothing, and their worl
and influence, like themselves, is shallow
limited rnd unfruitful of good. thus,
the figures hereafter given disclose, tn
work and influence of these schools |
waning, and the glorious, monopoiizih
influence that their friends declared thei
creation would have over the educationa
agencies Of the State, is now seen to hay
been ideal and illuSory.
Yet, with all the above named induce
mentS, after. in two schools six years. an
in one ten years, of experimenting, thel
full seating and working capacit
has never been tested. Tn
standard Of admission can nt
be raised for even as now fixed, Mimi
sofa cannot furnish students sufficient t
fill the one school at Winona. The r.
ports made by the principals of thes
several schools for Winona report
1870. page 90; Mankato. page III; S
Cloud report of 1875, page S5l indica
that the Winona school. when fully tN
nished and equipped, will accommodate
from 500 to 300 pupils; the Manka
school over 500, ana the St. Cloud >cho
500. The reports for the year endil
Nov. 3oth. 1874. shows the total enro
ment and average attendance tor Il
year TO have been as follows
= Ninoaa, including children OF the Or
phanss Home, enrolled s
Average daily attendance, IS per cent or .
hankato, enrolled -. ..--.
Average daily attendance, So per cent or
ST. Cloud, enrolled -. ...... -. -
Average daily attendance, IS per cent or,
Total average daily attendance in three
SCHOOLS $1,000
= OF these Al. the same reports sh
aDo to have been pupils of the Mo'
Schools and Orphans Home-( Mankat
average in the Model School unreport'
from ST. Clouds figures, is supposed
have been 30). 1t is to be remcmbeI
that these pupils of the Model Scho
arc mere children, the subjects furnish
BY indulgent, or at least patriotic, parel