Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-05-26


dates must furnish satisfactory evidence of
good moral character. If ladies, to enter
the lowest class, must be not less than six
teen years of age; and, if gentlemen, not
less than eighteen. They must pass a sat
isfactory examination in Smelling, reading,
writing, geography, arithmetic and English
grammar, and must subscribe a declaration
| that tEeir object in connecting themselves
with the school is TO prepare for the work
! Of instruction in the public schools Of the
| State. Each county Is entitled to twice
| as many pupils as il has representatives in
the Assembly. Students are appointed by
! the Superintendent Of Public Instruction,
on recommendation Of the School Commits
| sioneTs, subject to the required eXamina-
| ton. When the quota Of a county is
! filed, candidates having the proper qualiii-
/ tons viii be appointed to fill vacancies in
the representation Of other counties, on
application to the President. As such va
| cancies have always existed, the school is
| practically open TO all who desire to tit
| themselves TO become teachers.
| In the seven other State normal schools
Of New York, the corps Of teachers ranges
from fourteen to eighteen; with salaries
varying from 5000 to s., 500; and with large
! academic, intermediate and primary depart
ments attached for practice in training.
| These seven normal schools were all open
| ed between 1867 and 1871. So in this
grand empire State we see that after a long
! and patient experiment az Albany, the nor
NAL school idea has made deep and wide
Judgement in the popular mind.
This fact is the more evident when we
| learn that the city Of New York, contain
ing about One-third the population Of the
State, has recently made ample provision
for training teachers for her own schools.
On Oct. %, 1873, the normal college Of the
city was opened. The building, even in
that metropolis Of the western world, ar
rests the attention Of the stranger. It is
four hundred feet in lengthby two hundred
in depth, and will accommodate from 1,50O
TO 1 600 pupils. IL cost S,}5O0OO on lot
valued at a million. Already one thousand
pupils have been entered. There are
twenty-nine teachers. The city apprOpri-
ated last year So 600 for It's support.
illinois, pre- eminently an agricultural
common wealth, has made very handsome
provision for normal instruction. In 1851
the State Normal University was establish
ed. Bloomington and Mclean county
secured the location, for which there was
very animated competition, by the offer Of
$4,000. The buildings and outfit are
first class. The annual appropriation for
It's support $4,000. During the last year
It's faculty comprised thirteen members,
its normal department, $50 pupils; its
model school, 3l6; sUb-divided into liz
high school, 147 grammar school, and 81
intermediate and primary school. At Car
bOndale, in the southern part Of the State,
another normal university has recently
been organized on a similar extensive plan.
The farmers of Illinois after fully testing
the value of normal schools have doubled
their capacity.
Wisconsin, one OF the large, new north
western States, with 4 population gathered
from all parts Of the world, has avery COM
plete system Of normal schools, recently
thee, now four In number. That at OSh-
kosh last year, had ten teachers, and 527
scholars enrolled; 26S Of whom were nor
nal, and the remainder in the grammar,
intermediate aud primary departments Of
the model school.
In looking at the actual working and
practical results Of normal schools in these
aud other American States, so rs 10 arrive
at a clear notion Of their scope and fInc-
tion in the grand field of education, four
points appear worthy Of special attention:
FiIst. the academic character Of these
schools. They are not merely intended to
teach how 10 use knowledge, art or pTac-
tice. a leading part OF their work is to
imDlTt knowledge, science or theory. They
are then, Is all professional schools should
be, scientific and practical. Their true
function is analogous to that Of our medi-
cal colleges, in their fullest development, in
which the student is taught the elementary
principles OF science only indirectly, yet es-
sentialIy, connected with his profession;
and then the phenomena, causes and treat
meut Of the various maladieS tOWhiCh flesh
is heir; and as q CTCWning initiation is call
ed upon 10 apply this knowledge 20 the
living patient; 50 in the ordinary two
years course at the normal school the
pupil must not be content with such knOWl-
edge Of tie elementary branches IS was ac-
quired when q child, and as may be suti-
cieUt for the entering exaWina. ION. These
studies must again be gone over with ma
tuIe minds and with g special view.
Second, tie training character If these
schools. To TIE medical college hospitals
are indispensable as schools Of practice; so
must the normal college have IFS model
schools, in which are practically exhibited
the best methods Of teaching, and in which
the pupils have due opportunity Of eXercis-
ing these methods. As an instance Of how
this is done, passage from the Fifth An
nual Report OF The FIed0uia, New York,
State Normal School, 1874, may be cited:
40 furnish the requisite practice for the
training classes, it is necessary TO have on
the premises q series Of schools represent .
ing every grade Of or public schools, and
each grade should be sufficiently large 20
furnish appropriate exercise for tire pTaC-
ticiuE teachers. in both iuslrUCting and
governing. These schools for practice
Should be organized on the best plan
known, and be under Ha most able, indus
trisus and faithful! cLeTs that can be
procured. When ] -iy organized aud
operated, they viii p, with the normal
department, one silent, sympathetic
organism, where e member will feel
the Joy OF the sUrIUn of the other. Such
an organism will 90 far to eNalt and expand
the thoughts Ofeyery p-aCticing teacher, and /
10 fit him to become the auimltiug soul
or whatever school he manages. To carry
ont this idea We have a primary depart .
ment OF about 40 children; a Junior depart |
meUt Of about 40, 4 senior department Of /
about 40 students. The principals and /
assistants Of these departments are also the !
critics over the practiCiug portion Of the !
training classes
Confirming the above, the following eX- |
tract from the Thiry-SiXth Massachusetts |
report is Of peculiar weight, excellent as |
Qua normal schools are admitted 10 be, |
there is Yet one very important element q /
a complete normal seminary in which they /
are deficient; namely, a model school or /
school Of observation and practice. This /
deficiency is in part supplied, however, at |
The WeSttield school, by the use of q neigh
boring plbiic town school as q school Of |
observation but not Of practice, at an an
luai expense TO the State of five hundred 1
dOllaIs One or two Of the other schools
are in the habit Of borrowing a primary
class from a public school for the purpose
Of illustrating the Ohiect-teachiDg method.
But this is a make-shift which is quite UNI
satisfactory and insufficient for afiOrding
The opportunity for practical trainingiu the
ait Of teaching which normal pupils ought
10 receive.
Third, the collegiate character Of these
schools. Intended 10 train for the most
compensated Of all professions,
they are attended by pupils Of very limited
means, Hence arises the necessity for that
mode OF living which, as experience every
where has shown, gives more comfort for
1-e TuDuaI- f1r1r, any NJ hars auH which i l