The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-03-25

Rs to those students now working In the
senior classes of the elementary courses.
PURPOSE OF RESOLUTION.
The purpose of the first resolution is In
brief to raise the standard Of the normal
schools, give more real significance to
normal school diplomas, and to guaran-
tee the character of the teachers In the
state as well asoto enforce just public
economy In the management of these in
stltutlons. Prof. Lewis idea is to do
away with the elementary branches in
the normal schooloso far as they exist
merely as elementary studies. For in
stance, student WHO has reached the
seventh grade in the public schools may
enter the normal school and study ele-
inehtary subjects for limited time and
then go right into the county and find
employment as a teacher on the ground
tnat sne has had a years training in
normal School A eyery large number of
lnese class pupils only attend q normal
one term before engaging In teach
,ils' "A graduate of a high school who
mas put four times as much work on these
elementary subjects as Is given to them
40 me normal schools must go through
.ile same elementary course again before
entefing the professional courses.
Inc ioea or the resolution is to chop OF
the elementary course, so that no stu
dent can enter the normal schools who
mas not studied these elementary sub
Jects as such and attained some prof.
cheney therein Then upon entering the
normal schools the student would at
once enter the professional course and
STUDY these subjects in review with a
view TO teaching them. The result Is evil
dent
II is needless to point out the differ
ence between teacher who has studied
history six months in a normal school
and then studied to teach that history
ana the graduate who has studied his
tory TWO years in a high school and who
enters the normal school to take 1t up
IN review and study the theory and prac-
tlce or teaching it. This also saves the
duphcatlng of studies, which Gov Lind
pointed out to the normal board as being
something unwarranted and which the
state could Ill afford. The standard of
the normal schools would be raised at
once and the graded schools would in
turn reap the benefit Of better teachers
STANDARD TOO Low.
There is no more conclusive evidence.
1t Is claimed, that the scholastic standard
Tor admission to the normal school is too
low and that 1t is lowering the educa-
t1onal standard of teachers in this state
than the fact that pupils in the model
school are promoted directly into the
class of the normal department. 1t Is
d
will leave gap of two years between
the model and the normal departments.
indeed 1t will, and there should be a gap
OF TWO or more years between these de-
partmentS. Is there any more reason
why the state Of Minnesota should pre-
pare In the normal schools the children
in Winona, Mankato, ST. Cloud and Moor
mead for admission to the normal classes
than for performing the same service for
the children in other cities Of the state.
These cities have their public schools,
and they are good ones, where the model
school pupils can prepare for the normal.
In one OF our state normal schools there
are in round numbers between 1000 and
LOO pupils, Of which number about 300
are doing normal school work proper,
while between 700 and 800 are primary, in
termediate and grammar grade and G
class pupils. 1t is true rile state receives
from $7.20 to $40 per annum tuition
from normal school pupils, but this sum
does not begin to pay the cost of these
pupils to the state The fact is perfectly
apparent that the energies and revenues
of the state are wasted in too much pri-
mary and low grade work in the normal
schools.
Few disinterested persons will claim
that a normal school should give primary
instruction In subjects which are taught
In the high school and to which the high
NAL schools do. The normal school should
be supplementary to the high school This
is what the resolution contemplates. The
resolution also looks toward a greater
uniformity In the rank of teachers who
graduate from the normal schools. The
advantages of the new scheme SO greatly
outnumber the fewademerits that no fair
minded person can object seriously to
them. Supt. Lewis will have the backing
of the best educators In the state in this
new plan of his.
Minnesota will be following the example
of the most progressive states in the
country The recognized educational
leaders at the national educational con-
ventions have long urged this scheme.
Indeed, the great prejudice existing
against normal schools is due largely to
the present arrangement, which falls
far short of doing justice to all interests.
If this revision is made it will tend to
increase the confidence In the normal
school methods.