Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1896-10-15

many dollars per student as vernon
has"
Report OF; the Commissioners upon Yer
mont's Normal schools.
The report of The commissioners ap
pointed to investigate the norma
Schools of the state has been published
and appears as an Indictment and con
demnation of the entire system. The
report says in substance that our pres
ent normal schools are farce, and art
wholly inferior to similar schools in
neighbOring states; and that the grad
yates, after having cost the state a
/ large sum, are no better equipped To
i teach than the graduates of academies
and high schools These statements
come rs a surprise TO some of rs who
have had quite different and favorable
! impressions Of at least one normal
school, that at Randolph Center. Read
ing the sweeping assertions OF the re-
port we are disposed to ask, Where are
the proofs Where are the facts in
evidgncc9 Where are the figures for
comparisons Ii would seem Justly
due to the instructors who have been
doing faithful work in our normal
schools. and to the several hundred
graduates who are teaching our chill
dren i'm the common schools, rs well as
to the public generally, that in report
which bears so heavily upon these in
structOrs and graduates there should
be some reason given or, at least, there
should be some indication of the facts
upon which the commissioners have
based their Judgment. Instead ofthis,
we find, for the most part, only bare
assertions. The figures relative to the
average cost of graduates to the state
show nothing as to the expense in
comparison with the expense in other
states.
The statement that 1.-THE graduates
have cost the state, on an ay-
erage, sl20 each year for the last seven
years, is misleading. 1t seems to say
that the state has had to pay Sl20 for
each student for each year of attend
ance, whereas, by the showing of the
figures of the report itself it appears
that the sum named has been the aver
age cost for the whole period ofattend-
ancc. The entire amount appropriated
by the state for normal schools for the
last seven years has been SS4,004. and
the number OF graduates has been 643.
This gives an average cost of $4,000
for each graduate. Most of the gradu-
ates have attended at least two wears,
which would make their average cost
to the state. for years study, but half
Of sl29.o9, or approximately 500. This /
loes not seem very large sum to pay
Tor years course which shall prepare
a good teacher for the children of the
state.
The report says that 1.-THE graduates
rom our normal schools i'm this state /
10 not, on an average, receive oreater
)ay than the graduates from our acad- /
,mies and high schools The evident
implication is that the graduates from
'nr normal schools are not looked up
IN generally a being better qualified
o teach, on account of their normal II
raining, than others. The writerdoes
lot know what the bare statistics rela-
i've To the wages of teachers may
how but from his acquaintance with
he directors of the town of his resi-
Ience he ventures TO say that the school
'0ard here, rs Il rule. prefer normal
chool graduates for teachers, and are
Wiling to pay more to obtain such.
purlng three and half years, in which
ne writer has been town superintend-
mt OF schools, he has had thirty-five or
hlrty-slN different teachers under his
uperVlslon, not counting college grad
ates. or these, twenty-four have been
radllates OF some of our state normal
and the rest graduates of acad-
mics or high schools. His uniform
observation has been that the teachers
mo have had the opportunities of a
ormal school training show an evil
ent superiority over other teachers.
ne other conditions being equal. Such
ave, plus their natural abilities and
lelr knowledge of required branches.
knowledge of educational methods
Inch enables them to do better work
hi Is especially noticeable i'm the case
! young teachers just beginning.
he normal school graduate has. at the
utset. some definite idea of what i to
done. and OF how to do il, while
Ihcr teachers must get their knowl-
ICE only alter several terms of expe-
ence, and then less completely.
Such has been the experience of one
lperlhlendent. There does moi seem
he any reason why the experience of
her superintendent should differ
realty from his. We wish that direct
: and superintendents generally
roughout the state might lie heard
ON
KEY. 6. II Mo.SE. Town Supt.,