Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-02-09
THE STATE NORMAL SCHOOL.

Las f'NNN
kpt;o,s instead al combining themselves
10 the work for which they were profess
&eoIy est Ia;!shed. were really doing the
work OF nrrh schools or interior colleges.
i've also took the position concerning
Them tha: '.,ey were unnecessary. inns
position ~. propose now to try to estao-
ish,
l. i not because We underrate the pro-
FeS~inn Of teaching. OF think that All
kpccisl training Tor il IS needless we
believe that. a. the work OF the teacher
5 prior and fundamental 10 that OF 81
ethers. it IS the most important OF a!
NE professions. We believe. moreover.
eha, no one can be too wei. qualified for
Is responsibilities: that, on the contra
tv, one OF the curses OF our educational
interests i that here fools rush IN
PShcrc angels len. to tread
We believe that distinct Normal schools
or t.e training of teachers are unneces-
iarv. because. first. AZ suggested last
week. the most efficient way to teach
low IL teach - 10 teach that every IN
eIiigeut pupil. who is capable OF making
In .tfir:eut teacher, will learn more by
,bScr. ing the methods of his Instructors
han ny al the special instruction that
:aI lie given. Indeed. a. We have n
'eaiy stated. this is the very plan adopt
ii in the Normal schools themselves.
~, -~,I- - 81, ,sr-,,n-i,r rIypD rhprl
: in this way. We believe that. IN the
oub.lc and private schools OF Lexington.
We have a. good teachers rs are 10 be
ound in the state. How many Of them
gere educated in Normal schools? Only
,ne. - tar a. we know. (She is 4 credit
Q her school. we readily adm;t) Nine
eaths were probably never inside OF a
Normal school. How did they learn 10
each Party by experience, just As
he Normal graduates must; and large
V by observing the plans pursued by
herr own teachers IN their undergrad
late course.
Normal schools are further shown to
DC unnecessary by the tact, that the
perial work OF Normal instruction &C.
.upieS the time of only one teacher out
II SIX or eight that are employed. The
est OF the faculty are only doing what
very other hi.h-schocl aud college
eacher in the laud is doing. and that Is
rying to teach the sciences in the most
Efficient way. Is il necessary u spend
s20u. 600 in the erection of 4 magnificent
building. to spend thousands more in
furnishing il. and still more thousands
annually in keeping it up. in order that
me maj may spend three or tour hours
. day in giving Normal instructions 10 q
hundred or TWO teachers We say. No
\ suitable room could be rented for two
hundred dollars, and the whole expense
,ou.d De limited to 300 q year.
We say again hat our Normal schools
re unnecessary, because they are in
act but district High schools. We have
.lreadv examined into the propriety oi
Iigh schools rs supported By the state.
md re !ound that they were inexpedi-
mt and unnecessary. We Will here sim
jLv recall one reason for this judgment.
What proportion OF the children whose
parents p.v taxes to sustain these Nor,
nal schools avail themselves Of their
,dvautageS2 Scores do not care to DC
%. Hundreds are unable to do SO. o.
he SIX hundred and fifty thousand child
en- in the state. how nany attend these
district High schools, known as Normal
chUUls? Not more than one thousand
IL OF them put together. Who are
hose that do attend? Are they the
.hi.dren Of parents who are unable Il
EDUCATE them. were there no provision
u the kind made by the state? Their
re a few such; but the most OF then
ire from Tie families of the well-to-dc
lass. Here then we have over 81,
hundred people taxed for the benefit o
me.
But it MAJ be said, Normal instruc
ion is not provided by such specia
.chools-how shall we secure it? Nor
na. instruction is a good thing; nay
Normal instruction is necessary for tn
uil efficiency of our educational system
We must have it, if possible. If Their
$ no other way than by Normal schools
ct Us have Normal schools. We think
however. that there IS another way
more efficient and more economical
LET there be n Normal department main
aimed in connection with the State Uni
fersity. The regular academic instruC
ion can be given by the professors i
he college OF science. In addition t
his, let arrangements be made for MOI
nal instructi.n by institutes in ever
section OF the state. Let a professor {
Normal instruction be appointed 10
each congressional district, except thu
n which Columbia Is located. Let thes
professors, as part of the faculty OF th
State University, be subject to the cor
.rol OF its officers. Let them be re4uil
I'd TO hold Normal institutes every yea
)i three months duration each, ut tn
.hree most eligible points in their sever
Il districts. Let those attending sue
Institutes he required to pledge then
selves to teach at least one year for ever
ERIN they may attend, and to pay or
1alf Of the expense OF their instruC
Jon. By this plan. without a dolls
spent for permanent improvements, ar
al an expense not to exceed twenty-ti'
thousand dollars Il year., every section
the state Will have the benefit OF Norm
instruction for It's teachers. and we shs
soon see "a marked Improvement in s
"a oil our public schools. BY this plan. i
struction in didactics will be given
k eight times rs many teachers. at n &C
<Hft not greater than 0ne-third that now /
Nh CURED 10 sustain the four Norm
Wen schools.
4YH 1t may be asked, What shall we
y3fb with the handsome and very expense
syH buildings which have been erected I
ittkn the Normal schools? We answer tn
Ee5g&p they can be disposed OF in one of "
[H1N ways. They can be returned to I
Ncounties. whose subscriptions aid
largeiy III building them. II not. o
of them can be used for an inebriate as
lum; one for an insane asylum; 4