Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-02-17
Their work ana What Impedes Il.
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bling The Normal Schools to some extent
in the past by uniayorable enactments, and
their hbors in this direction have tended
considerably to loealize and limit the work
and influence Of these schools. Yet, des-
pile the malpractice Of past Legislatures,
they still exist and flourish and to-day are
the most useful and necessary feature OF
our school system. The statement thst
these schools are merely local in their char
aeter and work is so thoroughly refuted bg
the facts that am surprised any intelii-
cent person should utter it. Look at the
following figures, which are Official and
correct:
The Fairmout school alone. as l find
from the catalogue Of last year, aimee its iu-
corporation in 1865, has graduated two
hundred and twenty-four (z24) students,
representing Is counties and States
From the same catalogue and records OF the
school | End these graduates have taught
in the aggregate over seven hundred and
Fifty school years, in terms ranging rom
four to ten months per year. since gradu.
ating. 1t is the history Of the students OF
this school that four-fths OF them teach from
two to four years each before they graduate,
going out during the winter term for this
purpose. Il is under rather than over the
figure to say they have averaged two years
TO each student before graduating. making
four hundred and forty-eight years to be
added TO the number taught since grsdua-
ton or in even Numbers total OF twelve
hundred years by the graduates.
Al - al rva unuak fha "a
taught By those who attended tor time
and did rot graduate, we shall have total
Aggregate OF nearly tSenty-Six hundred
schCoi years taught BY students of this
school alone since its organization. Surely
this is worth something to the State; in
fact the value cannot be computed in dol
lars and cents. for il is series-a progress
sion unending. And this is bat one OF six
such schools. What the others have done
we have not the data at hand to show. Last
year the Fairmont school registered two
hundred students representing twenty four
counties and three States.
What other school, academy or uniyer-
sityWithin our borders more nearly fills the
measure Of State institution, or more hon
estly earns public support What Other
makes such return to the Taxpayers OF
the State? Can the six Normal schools
which gather their hundreds Of students
from every section of the State, and send
their thoroughly equipped graduates into
every district Of every county to teach the
youth in our public schools, be called local
in character or influence?
So far as | can learn the State has never
appropriated one cent for apparatus, tor
libraries, for cases or any appliances aside
from the bare buildings and furniture for
these schools, and in some instances not
these; while il is a fact as notorious as it is
shameful that il has authorized its agents to
employ teachers and fix their salaries, and
sent its students to these schools at rate
prescribed By statute, and then repudisted
ITS contract or scheduled the salaries. The
Normal Schools have indeed been expen-
siye Injuries compared, say. with the Uni
yersity-and ought to be abolished But
possibly at another time we may institute
some comparisons. Meantime we would
call attention to some hindrances TO the sue
cess of these schools
1t is we'll known BY every intelligent OBJ
server Of the educational work Of the State
that the great majority Of those who attend
the NormSls DO not graduate. There are
seyeralreasons for this, two Of which viii
name. First, because of the restrictive Oh
legation into which they are required to
enter before they can receive an appoint
ment, that within reasonable time after
graduation, they viii teach one year in the
tree schools Of the State at the rate OF com
psnsation paid in the school where such
service is rendered. Second, because By the
law diploma from these schools is made
10 mean nothing, so far as certificate o.
scholarship and qualification to teach are
concerned. In this last case condition o
sffarsis presented soanomalous as to find NJ
parallel in the history of any other people
iIade or profession. Who ever heard OF 9
ration, OF State, or a society establishing
professional and technical schools, prescrib
ing the course Of study and the conditions
of graduation, and then when the course hai
been finished and the conditions met, AMI
the diploma certifying these facts granted
compelling those who have spent money
time and energy in fitting themselves 70
this special work to undergo yearly eS
animation as to their proficiency ant
efficiency at the hands OF every Tom, Die
and Harry who may be picked up over tn
country for this purpose? Particularly
it most humi6ating and degrading +
every high-minded person who Ia
TO submit to this indignity, whel
/ il is well known that not infrequently th
persons appointed on these examining
/ boards are hebetudinous cranks who fror
the time of their appointment to the day
examination ranSaek everything from Da
to Beersheba to find test problems, tn
questions, etc., and then if the answers ar
not given in the language and order PR
arranged BY them, down goes the grade
which means decrease Of salary under al
( other anomalous law BY which the Legisls
ture assumes to put price upon the brain
and ability OF the poor pedagogue. WI
| not apply the same rale TO lawyers, judges
doctors, druggists. civil engineers, in wor
to all specialists and professional men
Under these conditions diploma is valu'
I less, and Why would student to get
/ obHgate himself to give to the States year
work in cur sehoolsg
To my mind there is no way in which ID
present Legislature could serve the State
\ better advantage in an educational dIrectio
than BY removing the obligatory clauses n
isrred tOabove. restoring the statute las
is in otker States) which exempts Il
graduates Of the Normal schools. from n
nusl examinations before county board
Thus fostering aud encouraging them
make teaching profession and not
trade, and By giving to these schools sue
generous suppoFt, snch thorough equipmel
as Is needed to make them what they has
been. what they are nos. and what The
ought to be-the prime factorin the educ