The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-09-20
BETTER'PuBL1c SCHOOLS

| schools gives renewed interest to the sub
| ject OF education. No one can fail to mark
an improvement in the standard of the vii
| lage schools within the past two years. But
the demand for still better things, is quite
| general. 1t is to be observed not only in
! Bradford but in places far removed from
us, that the idea has struck parents with
| convincing force, that the way to raise the
grade of education for children in our home
schools is to raise the grade of our teachers.
Massachusetts, always foremost in any
movemen for advancing the cause of edu-
cation, is about to take the first step, we
see by recent circular, in carrying. out the
new policy of the State Board of Education,
which thus becomes the policy of the State,
not to admit to the Normal schools any
persons but those who have had high
schooling or its equivalent. 1t has been the
determination of the board for several
years to bring up the character of the nor
NAL schools to a higher point. Thus far
grammar school graduates, as well as those
! from high schools, have been admitted to
the normal schools, and the consequence
has been to keep the standard of admission
lower than is desirable; and to prevent the
development of the prestige of the normal
schools which they ought to have
This circular will have wide interest in
educational circles everywhere for the inn
portance of the Normal schools in that
State has been growing rapidly. The re-
ouirements are higher and broader than be-
| fore, as will be noted with pleasure by those
who are looking to the Normal schools for
better teachers.
First of the new regulations is this That
no one can be admitted to any Normal
school at a younger age than II years COM
plete for boys and 16 for girls. The appli-
plicant must be free from any disease or
inirmity which would unfit for the work
of teaching Certificates of good moral
standing are required, with evidence of
good intellectual capacity, and none will be
received unless graduates of high schools
I-whcse courses of study have been approved
by the board of education, or they must
have received, to the satisfaction of the
principal and the board of visit0rsj of the
school. the equivalent of good high school
education"
The new scale of examination will go in
to effect in 1895, and there will be five
groups of subjects. The first will include
languages, which means English, with its
grammar and literature, and one of the
three, Latin, French or German. The sec
ond includes mathematics, which means
here arithmetic and the elements OF algebra
ana plane geometry. The third covers his
tory and geography, which includes th'
history and civil government or Massacnu
setts and the United States and tnat par
of the history of England wnlcn contrlpute
- 1.Ftgowledge of United States history
Fonrth comes the group OF sciences, inciuo
ing physical geography, physiology am
hVgiene. physics, botany and chemistry
asst is drawing and music, covering me
chanical and frcehand drawing ana muslca
notation. :,
want TO learn whether the applicant ha
what is expressed in Yankee phrase b.
.peneral gumptiOn." So there will be ora
questions either upon the previous subject
or ''upom matters of common interest I
| i OF tho 1icprqtinD nf th
examiners" They want to look over tn
r candidate, get some idea of what ne or sh
is personally, in addition to the idea whic
can be gathered from written examinf
ton, They want to see what is the appll
9 cant's use of "English as she is spoke,
. whether it is used clearly, neatly and col
s rectly, or slovenfy- and improperly. The
would like te-see whether the applicaI
/ knows anything outside of the books. Blu
they are disposed to be charitable. "An
r work of personal, genuine and legltlmat
character that the candidate has done
Il Connection with any of the groups that al
~ set for examination, and that is suscepti6l
of visible or tangible presentation, may :
t offered and such work will be duly weigl
= ed in the final estimate and may even d
termine 1t. A., -.;..o,, o,,on,
:. natinns to the English language. 1t
g emnhasized that mo candidate Will be a
n cented in English whose work is n0taDl
n deficient in point of spelling, punctuatlol
idiom or division of paragraphs" Inc cl
cular saws that the Importance OF sot
foundation @ in English cannot be overratt
e and the general plans and matter for e,
ls animation will be the same as agreed up. up.
g by by the high technical schools and colleg
D. of New England. This at once puts u
4. Normal schools upon 1lgner grabue tbem 'fi Il
e. ennal OF the colleges in English Trequir
s, ments. There is no doubt that this W
,e stimulate high school teachers all over .
Is State. for while they have hitherto, be-
70 sensitive about the preparation OF Iht
10 graduates who were going to Havard, a
n Dartmouth or other colleges, they have n
a felt anv. such sensitiveness about The
scholars who were going to enter Norm
school. This will brace up the high schot
. and will secure better fitted pupils for I