Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-11-15
primal Schools and Normal Training,

The act entitled An act TO encourage the
training of common school teachers, now
under consideration by our Legislators, is open
to serious objections. First, it is another step
in the line Of educational dissipation and
fritteriug, which has.heretofore been too UNI
fortunately characteristic of the school leg.
islation and school policy of this state. We
have three colleges where we ought to have
but one three normal schools where we
should have but one and now it is proposed
10 encourage the establishment of normal
attempting to do broader work than they
can do well, and to give TO the graduates of
such departments all the advantages accru-
ing to the graduates of existing normal
schools. That it is proposed to appropriate
no money from the state treasury for such
additional normal training, is really no good
reason for the passage of the bill under con-
sideration The effect of it will he to give
to schools availing themselves of its provis-
ions the name of normal schools, without
the reality. 1t offers a premium for poorly
fitted teachers, For the first course Of
study prescribed for these training depart
ments rs considerably narrower than that
prescribed for the first course of the state
normal schools, and any advance course is
contingent on the decision Of the state SUI
perintendeut.
Secondly, this bill imposes work upon the
normal school examiners which no practical
teachers Qor such these examiners are re-
quired to be) can possibly perforu unless
they neglect their duties to their own schools
Thirdly, the bill offers to graded schools
advantages which it denies TO any other
schools, of similar or superior facilities
We wish our Legislators could see the wis
dom Of making every effort to strengthen
the really good features of our school sys
TEN, aud graft upon them some manifestly
desirable improvements. We have norma
schools enough. One or two OF them are
doing good work. One has changed it,
teachers yearly for the last three or foul
years, and OF course can give but inferior
instruction. New York has eight norma
schools, to each of which the annual appro
priation is eighteen thousand dollars; Mas
sachusetts, six normal schools, receiving
twelve thousand dollars TO fifteen Thousand
dollars each yearly New Hampshire, on,
school supported at an expense to the stat
of five thousand dollars to six thousand dol
lars annually; while Vermont appropriate
one thousand five hundred to each of thre
schools, two-thirds Of which sum is devote,
to scholarships for INDECENT students. Is i
any wonder that the high schools and acad
emies OF the state are obliged to get thei
best normal-trained teachers from the Mas
sachusetts and New York schools Is it
matter of surprise that our young ladie
desiring the best normal training must q
out Of the state for it We need first an,
most of all, one first-class normal school, lie
it cost what it may. We need, secondly,
system of county supervision similar to tina
in New York and Pennsylvania substitute,
for the present town system. We need
thirdly, some provision for uniformity O
textbooks. We can have all of these witt
less expense to the state than is now in
CURED for education, and without cuttin
down anything else essential. We nigh
have some other improvements but give u
these now, and we can wait two years for tn
rest