The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-19
STATE SCHOOL REPORT
Trained Teachers iii Demand
Need Of More Room or a
Higher Standard Of
Admission.
special to the Jersey Citu Mems.

6pecfdl to the Jersey CNu Nems.
TRENTON Jan. 10, 1897. The report OF
the institutions under the care of the
State Board of Education, including the
Normal and Model Schools. boarding halls
Of the same, and the Farn'lm Preparatory
School, was issued yesterday.
President Hays says
From these reports 1t will appear that
these respective institutions have been
prosperous. The annual enrolment of the
Normal was 5e4. an Increase of Sc over
THAT of last year. That of the Model was
591, an increase of %; that of the Farnum
was 1872. a decrease of 4. The total annual
enrolment was 1877, an increase of 81
over. that of 1896.
The Normal School graduated 149 stu
dents. all of whom are now teaching in
the public schools of the State. The aver
age salary received by the graduates was
$43.A, an incnease of AZ cents over the ay-
erage beginning salary received by the
last class.
h Model School graduated 90 students
the majority of whom have entered coll
leges or professional schools.
The Farnum School graduated but five.
four of whom entered the Normal.
The report of the Treasurer shows a
safe balance to the credit of each of the
several accounts. The faculty of the
schools has been increased in numbers
and strengthened in character, and the
standard Of work has been raised through
out. 1t is a safe observation that the
work of these institutions is being more
and more appreciated. The report of the
principal shows that the school buildings
are in need of ventilation, and that the
capacity, both of the dormitories and the
school buildings, Is taxed to its fullest ex-
tent.
The demand upon the Normal School is
increasing to an extent that invites ear
nest consideration on the part of POUR
honorable body.
The balance for the Normal School is
1884 and for the Norma boarding hall
Principal James M. Green, in the
forty-second annual report of the schools,
says that the past year has been the
most successful in the history of the
schools. The number of students Mas
been the largest. the intensity of scholar
ship the greatest and the financial man
agement the most complete. All the
graduates of the Normal School have
been placed as teachers, ana the demand
is greater than the supply. The gradu-
ates of the Model have entered success
fully the various pursuits for which they
prepared. The faculty has been strength
GHeQ, the DullOlQRS repaired ana Inc
grounds beautif1ed.
That we art yet filling the measure OF
our duties in pedagogical training no one
can conclude who makes a COMPARISON
of our work with that of other leading
States, or the numbe of our graduates
with the number of new teacherS annu-
ally employed.
New Jersey contributes $S5 900 a yeal
for current expenses in Normal training
Massachusetts, with less thar double oul
population and about double u wealth
ap~propriates, in round numbers, 1858 900
Connecticut, with one-half popula.
ton and about one-half our wealth, con-
tributes $4,000; New York, with about
four times our population and about five
times our wealth, appropriates about
$3.50, 600, besides a large amount for sup
schools; Pennsylvania with less thar
four times u population and four times
our wealth, a~ppropriates s16O,O00, but
makes the appropriation supplementary
to private aid. 1t thus appears that New
Jersey suffers in comparison with the
other leading States.
Our State has about six hundred stu
dents in her Normal School, and is grad
year, while there are about nine hun
dred new teachers employed each year.
The city training schools of the State
are graduating about one hundred stu,
dents per year, hence the number OF
teachers in the State who receive any
pedagogical training is to the total mum
DER GLQDlDyGO lSSS ludu OIIG 10 lOQI. E
Excepting in ventilation Of the build
ings, for which we lave no provision
other than windows and doors. oul
school may now be considered wei
equipped. Every classroom, however, is
occupied and the classes are as large as
they can be in justice to the pupils, an6
in some instances larger. Our dormi-
tories are all fully occupied, and we have
two additional houses rented for the
further accommodation of students. Some
forty students are boarding in town ant
over forty have been turned away unable
to get suitable accommodations.
| All this influx of Students has gone or
parallel with a raising of our standard
over fifty applicants having; failed in the
The above statement of conditions dem,
onstrates clearly that something must bt
done. Either the standard of admission
to our school must be raised still highel
down, or increased accommodations mus
! be provided, here or elsewhere. OF thes,
two alternatives it seems unwise t.
choose the first when the proportion Of
trained teachers is still so small.
The great majority of teachers ente,
the work through the county examine
tons, their only preparation having beer
received IN the village or district acad.
emic school Many of these teachers have
not the means with which to attend the
Normal, but wolld IKE, and should have
at least a sufficient introduction to the
art of teaching to know what it involves
Gould there be established in each of the
counties one or more summer classes for
a period of five or six weeks in length, tt
which young aspirants for teaching could
20, themselves either paying the tuition
or having it paid by the State, the result
would not only prove very beneficial te
the schools, but would greatly stimulate
the desire for advanced training.
The need for the preparation in oul
Normal h of a class of teachers who
could go out and instruct these beginning
| classes has been emphasized. 1t wouli
indeed seem wise economy to add a sufh-
cient amount of supplementary work tc
our present course to enable those in oul
State who wish to do more responsible
work to prepare with us. This work
should not be compulsory, n with oul
present equipment could be accomplished
with practically no Increased, cost to us.
NEW Law FIRM HERE.