The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-28
INSTITUTES DUE SHORTLY
EARLY NEXT MONTH TEACH
Frs SCHOOLS BEGIN

Supt. Pendergast Says They Are
Yearly Increasing in Popularity,
and He Expects the Attendance
This Summer to Be Upward of
7,OOO-Are a Source of Much
Benefit to the State Pedagorues.
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Pendergast stated yesterday that the
sixth year of the teachers Institutes
ard training schools, which would be
1naugurated next Tuesday In many of
the counties of the state, promised to
he most satisfactory and profitable.
increasing in popularity from year to
year, the summer schools, where the
rural school teachers. as well as those
of more urban locality, gather dur
ing the months of summer, have be-
come important adjuncts to the edu-
catlonal system in this state, Mr..
Pendergast says
In discussing the summer schools
yesterday the professor said that out
OF the 1000 school districts in the state
a large proportion of them particle
pated in the summer schools. He ex-
pected that the attendance this wear
would exceed 1000, which, if figured on
pro rata basis, would give one teach
er attending the schools and Institutes
from every school district in the state.
Inc institutes continued four weeks.
ana the training schools held exer-
clses two weeks, but in many cases
the institutes were prolonged an addi-
tional week by the counties, in which
case the state stood the expenses for
another week, making in all six weeks.
In the majority of cases the schools
were made county affairs. A half-dozen
school districts or more Joined In hold
ing one institute, which was greatly
advantageous to all concerned. as it
assured a larger attendance, and gen
orally better results were secured by
the alliance
The teachers at the Institutes are
from the teaching STATS of the four
normal schools in the state, and some
OF the higher grade teachers from
some OF the f1rst-class high schools.
MI. PendergaSt further stated that he
exercised great care in the selection of
the list of teachers to conduct the
summer schools and Institutes. ap-
pointing only those he either had per-
sonaf knowledge of or who came we'll
recommended by the normal school
presidents or high school principals.
In this way he had been able to Sc
cure an excellent corps Of conductors
and conductresses for this work.
The list of dates ard places where
these schools would be held, as pub
lished in The 6 l O b some time ago,
mas not been changed, and it is ex-.
pected that before the season is far
advanced several additional appoint
ments will be made, favoring towns
which have done especially good work,
and in Which there is urgent demand
for such school during the summer.
Beginning July the schools will
continue until early in the fall, when
they will be abandoned for the fall
term.
Mr.. Pendergast asserted Yesterday
that the benefits resulting from the
Institutes were many fold, and without
them school teachers would not be able
to keep abreast Of the times. By
meeting annually during the summer
and comparing results, appliances and
methods, the teachers assisted one an
other materially in keeping out of the
rut into which educators are so liable
to fall, especially when they are left
to themselves, as is often the case in
many of the more rural districts.
Mr.. Pendergast says Minnesota can
boast of as many little red school
houses as any state in the Northwest,
but the excellence of the state educa-
tlonal system could not be determined
by the exterior prospects of these
schools: but it was guaged according
to the quality Of the instruction given
the Minnesota boys and girls whose
fathers supported the schools, and
who themselves were to make the
groundwork for the civilization Of the
next generation.
The state had made quite a liberal
appropriation for the support of the
teachers institutes, but the increasing
demands Of a growing state would
necessitate substantial increase in
the states provision for. these schools,
to enable them to maintain their pres
ent grade of efficiency