Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-03-14
OUR puBlIc SCHOOLS.
interesting Interview With Supsrin-
tsndsnt Morgan.
The Policy to Be Pursued During the
Coming Four Years Briefly
Outlined.
The Fifth Murphy Temperance Meeting
One thousand People Present-A Live
~ Chase On the River-Pleasant
EntertAinment-BoId Robbery
General City News.

Of Schools Morgan might have something
interesting to communicate to the public
regarding the policy to be pursued
toward the schools of the State during the
term Of Office Just entered upon By him, q
REGISTER reporter, yesterday afternoon,
dropped into that genial officials Office and
preached the subject. Mr. Morgan, in response
to the reporter inquiry, admitted that he
had some original ideas as to the needs OF
education and the methods Of educators In
this State, and being invited to make them
known, outlined his views and policy sub
stantislly as follows:
He said he thought the greatest difficulty
in the way of the progress Of educatoa
in West Virginia was the want
Of q uni6eation Of interests
and sentiment concerning the true relation
and the functions ofthe University and the
State Normal schools. Instead OF being
mutually helpful and cooperative, as they
should be and were intended to be, there had
existed among these schools a spirit OF
rivalry that was detrimental to all
The Superintendent spoke in the warmest
terms of the Importance and value Of the
State Normal schools to the public school
system, declaring that they were indispens.
ably to the progress Of the public school
system, as the advancement Of the public
school depends largely upon the intelligence
and training Of The teaGker, and as the al
most FIVE thousand teachers Of West Ntr-
GINA is q Gaetuating and changing body,
5eiEg constantly decimsted BY other profes'
sions and callings, it is a~llimportaut to
have 8 class of young men and women in
training from which to recruit. This class
the State Normal schools are engaged in
preparing.
As to his policy toward these schools, he re
marked that he had ideas that be desired to
be carried out. Among them, he thought,
the time had come when the normal school
course Of training should be enlarged and
extended and made more thoroughly pro-
fessional and al the same time he endorsed
the incorporation of an academic course Of
study in each normal school equivalent to
the preparatory school in the University
and q certificate TO the effect that a young
man had completed this course Of study
should admit him TO any OF the schools Of
the University. This would remedy one o.
the great needs OF the school system of the
State. Heretofore the system Of education
had been too superfcial-that is, the AGA
demie had ~preponderated over the profes
sional-snd the adoption of this addition to
the normal school curriculum would be 9
long step forward, and would undoubtedly
inuTe to the benefit OF the State.
he thought this the best thing that could
be done for these schools. The nor
nal schools could carry for
ward these two curriculums with
the same corps Of teachers aud with nc
additional expense to the State.
The State University, whose good infu
ence upon the State had been dnjustly re
tarded and DISTRACTED, would thus be pro
yided with six preparatory schools instead
of one, and thus all the schools provided fol
at the expense OF the State would be brought
into friendly and cooperative relations
This condition of things would naturally de
velop these relations, and would soon place
the normal schools before the people in the
character Of professional schools and acad
emies, and the University as the institution
of higher learning the respective position:
they should occupy. There should be nc
duiNROuAsM UNlnCNA NANoC AhStANONAOho VI
learning.
Supt.. Morgan, was further of opinion thai
when the Normal Schools were made IS
thoroughly professional as the educational
interests OF the State now demanded, that a
diploma from aState Normal School license
the holder to teach anywhere in the State
unless revoked for some immoral conduct
He also thought it would be very advan'
tsgeous, if large number of the county
Institutes could be changed to normal train
ing schools of about four weeks in length.
West Virginia teachers need better op-
~portunities for professional drill and train
ing, and these Normal institutes would give
young teachers Of limited means excellent
opportunities so improve themselves.
In conclusion, he thought that when the
relations between the Public schools, Nor
NAL schools and the University were proper
ly and harmoniously adjusted, unsupported
by q healthy public sentiment, the educs
| roual interests of the State would begin 6
ptrmare nt prosperity.