St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-01

actly one IN five Instead OF one in
tWelve-a pretty good leayening.
The number of pupils in the normal
departments of the four schools last
year was 1904. instead of 943, and the
model OF practice schools enrolled 795,
instead Of 900, as you print. The model
school pupils, while mostly from the
cities where the normals are located,
pay tuition, except at Moorhead.
= Again, the four schools last year sent
ont into the teaching field not 81 grad
yates, as You say, but 1877. Of these SO
were from the "advanced," or four
years course, and 134 from the 'ele-
mentary," or three years course. The
difference between these courses is not
great. The professional work is nearly
identical in both. Three years of Latin,
required for the advanced diploma, is
the main point OF difference. The grad
yates OF the shorter course are full
f1edged" teachers, are in demand all
over the state, and large numbers of
them are occupying important positions
Iii high and graded schools, some of
them principalships. Our elementary"
course is often strangely misunderstood,
as. it appears to have been by the
GLOBE.
1t is certainly true and not to be won
<
in country schools. Wages i'll those
schools are too low, the school year too
short, and the conditions otherwise I'M
attractive. Nearly all our graduates
teach in graded and high schools, where
wages, length OF service. and other con-
ditiOnS are more favorable. The de-
mand from these schools for our gradu-
ates is constantly Increasing, and be-
You'd our capacity to supply.
You say that the high schools send
out more graduates than the normals,
and furnish more teachers to the cOun-
try schools. They do and ought to, for
there are already in the state seventy
two high schools. But you say, because
these schools furnish more teachers at
much less cost per head. why not cease
supporting the normals? There is not
one word in your article suggesting any
comparison between the teaching power
of high school graduates and that of
normal graduates However, the we'll
known facts that most of our graduates
are employed in the high schools, and
that large and rapidly increasing num-
Der of them are graduates of high
schools before coming to US. settles this
question of relative skill. Theoretically
and practically the country school prob
lem is in process of solution. The uni
versity is furnishing high school princi-
pals. The nOrmalS are furnishing the
grade teachers. The high schools, as
you say, are furnishing the country
teachers.
There is no more remarkable fact in
the history Of education in America than
the wonderful growth of the normal |
school system during the past twenty |
five years. There is scarcely state |
that has not from one to twelve normal |
schools. These are long past their eX- |
detrimental stage. They are past the |
stage of criticism in every other state |
than Minnesota, so far as | know. The |
trouble here is the state has not dealt |
enough with the schools.
As an illustration of this [ cite the |
case of our school at MankatO. Two |
years ago normal diplomas were made
state certificates, and $1,000 was added |
Ing class, now enrolling 9S. has increased |
nearly three-fold. There has been
similar increase at Winona, and | sup
pose at the other schools. Give us now
the room we need, and we shall make |
another similar advance.
Respectfully, EDWARD Soaring.
= Mankato. Mimi. Jan. 80, 1898.
THE GLOBE of Monday contained an
editorial saying that its editorial OF Sat
urday was based on the figures given in
the state superintendent's report as |
Issued. 1t had not received
the ''revised version" i'll which the fig
ufes are said to be corrected