The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-24
RIVER AT s A. NJ.
REFORMATION OF THE NoRMALs.

One of the noteworthy achievements of
the administration of Gov. Lind is the
elimination of an abuse Of the normal
concept that has crept In and grown until
the concept was subordinated to institu-
tionalism, to the development Of a great
establishment regardless of it's original
purpose The board of trustees has
adopted the recommendation Of Supt.
Lewis, and has cut out the grade
and secondary instruction, and abolished
the elementary diplomas which were
given to half-baked students in pedagogy
and filled the state with teachers
armed with that dangerous thing
little knowledge" This had grown, in
each state normal school, to such an ex-
tent that barely one-fourth of its enroll
ment were pursuing studies at all related
to the science of pedagogy. Hereafter our
normals will be more what they should
be, technical schools in which those who
wish to pursue teaching, and have had
the necessary preliminary education, may
the art of teaching.
Another action. upon which the state
Is to be congratulated, was the decision
that the construction of the new normal
at Duluth, for which an appropriation
of $4,000 wassmade, will be kept strictly
within the limits Of that amount. There
was a disposition shown by some men,
bers of the board to follow the custo-
mary method, and use the first appropria-
ton as mere beginning, expanding 1t on
foundations Of building planned to cost
from two to three hundred thousand
dollars Then succeeding legislatures
would be forced to make additional ap-
preparations until great structure was
completed, vastly too great for legiti-
mate purposes, after which would fol-
low the degradation of the concept by
the installation of elementary studies,
making the school mainly an addition to
the local schools for all purposes from
the kindergarten to the high school. This
was stopped by Supt Lewis, who called
the need of which was urged by the
Glob e. and which had its introduction
by Representative Umland, a Democratic
representative from St Paul. that makes
1t felony for any officer or board to
exceed in expenditure the appropriation
made This will limit the size of the
Duluth normal to building that can
be built for $4,000, one, it is needless to
say, that will be ample for all the needs
of a strictly normal school.
One of the presidents of the normals,
all of whom were present and resisted
the reform proposed by Supt. Lewis,
urged, against the excelsior of the CO.
classes, that, if the normals were deprived
of the large number of pupils included in
these classes, they would not have the
support in the legislature that they want
ed in order to get appropriations. This
reveals the motive that led to the ex-
pansion of the courses to take in ele-
mentary and secondary instruction, and
which constituted the abuse the superin-
tendent sought to correct The object was
to increase the number of students from
rural districts who would go back with
the flavor of normal instruction, If with
out its essence, and create sentiment
in the country that would be influential
with the legislators in securing appropria-
tionsato sustain the inflated institution.
We have not heretofore had so frank
an avowal Of design, although the circum
stantial evidence was sufficient to war
rant the conclusion now affirmed by this
precedent. 1t is thus that all these in
stftutions have worked legislatures and
the state treasury. And the correction
of this abuse is one of the acts to he
placed to the credit of this administra-
ton when, in another campaign. If Ia
weighed in the balance.
Senator Mcmillan, Of Michigan. said
hot vxbila