New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-28
NoRMAL COLLEGE EXAMINATIONS.

| ARE THE PAPERS UNUSUALLY ShNEkEf
A TALK WITH PRESIDENT HUNTER-THE GROWING
POPULARITY OF THE INSTIrUToN-IHE MEANS
| TAKEN TO SECURE EXCELLENCE
The annual examinations of the Normal College,
of this city, FOR the admission of new pupils and the
| determination of the standing of these who have
| been IN attendance there, are now IN progress 1t
having been whispered that on account OF the large
number of qualified applicants for admission to the
college this ycar-a number said to he vastly IN eX-
| cess of the capacity of the iDstiutiOn-the exam
| natiOn papers were unusually severe, and more
over aboundcd in questions intended rather to
| puzzle the pupils than to bIlng out larry thclr
scholastic abilities IRBUNE reporteglr cailed upon upon
| the real facts of the matter.
ave have a larger number OF candidates for adj
mission TO the college this year than we have ever
had before" sad President Hunter "Nlno hun
| dred aud twenty-thfee eligible candidates have
| presented themselves-a hundred more than we
is g1Tl who is mt least fourteen years OF age, has
completed the of study for the highest class
| in the public grammar school, and brings with her
principals certificate 10 that effect None except
| ing those fulfilling these conditions are examined.
| The examinations IN writing, English grammar
| Arithmetic completed, algebra as far as quaaratlG
| equations, geography and history OF the thlteu
| States An average proficiency OF 20 per cent or
the attainabe must be shown to entitle to .admls-
sion
| about one hundred and fifty of this years cand-
dates will fail to pass the entrance examination
and probably a bundled more who Will pass the eX-
amlnatiOns and receive certificates To that elect
will never attend the college. Very many pupils
are examined every year who never intend TO make
teaching a profession. They are examined simply
to obtain certificate of their proficiency, which
they find useful often in aiding them to secure EN-
plOyment Then, too, PROBABLY ore hundred OF our
present pupils will drop out by falling TO pass the
annual examination III their studies. mat Will
still further reduce the number to be provided Tor
We expect TO open IN September with about six
hundred, of whom fifty will be graduated tls year.
and probably hundred. as have said, Will drop
| rIfnf fDna
give us about sixteen hundred pupils IN all to
begin the next term with. Our building has
capacity for fifteen hundred, but considering the
fact that OF all pupils registered there are always
hundred or more absent from sickness or 0ther
causes we can accommodate sixteen hundred reg
istered very we'll
In regard to the examination papers for this
year, can only say that they do not diner
materially from those of previous years They may
be slightly Difficult than heretofore, hut they
are not constructed with the design OF confusing
the pupils. We have found by experience that un-
less we vary the questions considerably from year
to year the teachers are apt 10 cram their pupils
for examinations, ana tins year the papers nave
been prepared to prevent success resulting from
hasty or imperfect preparation. we want 10 una
ont now much the candidate really understands,
and so our questions this year eqnlre III the sue
cessful candidate reasonable knowledge OF the
subjects upon which she Is examined. as well as
some exercise OF her Judgment. l am very sOlly l
have not some OF our examination blanks here TO
show you what the questions really are
II we hal fifteen hundred applicants fOr aulnS-
sion, all of whom passed our EXAMINATIONS, attain
ing the required percentage OF excellence, we
should give each certificate TO that effect,
though we could not admit them all. In SUCH IA
case we should carefully review all OF the ex-
animation papers. and admit those pupils whose
averages were highest. in order OF proficiency,
until our limit of capacity was reached.
"Ihs year the pupils OF the Normal College ana
those Of the College Of the City Of Newly York are
being examined simultaneously by the use OF the
same examination papers, and tho same system OF
marking is being used in both institutions Inc
object of this-a suggestion of President aker. OF
the Board of EducatOn-S to ascertain which class
of school is the better taught, and also To observe
the relative proficiency attained by boys and girls
i'm the same studies The experience of the past has
demonstrated to me that girls usually more sue
cessful IN mastering the languages, while boys
rather excel in mathematical studies.
In connection with the Normal College one
other fact might be mentioned. Our college course
extends four years now. instead Of three years
rs formerly. Most of the Normal Schools have only
three years course, but t Is the result OF our eX-
pericnce that the fourth year is almost as valuable
to the person preparing TO become teacher as the
whole three years preceding. In this fourth year
there is added much more OF the practical; the
student is given some experience in actual teaching
We added the extra yeaI to our course IN 1879, bur
for the three years succeeding the fourth year
optional to the students already in the institution.
Now however. when the last of the students here
at that time have been graduated the fourth year
becomes part of the regular course, compulsory
to those who seek to graduate and obtain diplomas