The Saint Paul globe., 1899-04-02

Schools In Cities-Only Ten Of
the Answers Were Opposed and
They Were Lukewarm.
| Prof John II. Lewis, superintendent Of
| public instruction, short time ago sent
out circulars to all the city superintend-
! ents In the state, asking them for an ex-
preston of their views as to what should
constitute the minimum requirements for
admission to a normal school
Since then some seventy-fve answers
| have been received, of which only ten
are opposed to raising the standard OF
requirements for entrance to one Of these
schools. The rest not only indorse the
plan proposed, but insist that Mr. Lewis
is not extreme enough. Most of them be-
! feve In going further in the same direc-
tion, making the requirments for admis-
sion to a normal school an out-and-out
high school graduation; in other words,
place the nOrmals on an eitirely profess
sional basis.
| The following quotations have been
| taken from the communications received
In answer to the state superintendent 5
query
The principal of a prominent academy
says tnat the requirement for admission
to the normal school should be the full
| course"
| One city superintendent saws: "Annu-
cants for entrance to normal school
should be graduates of state high school
or nave had at least three years of high
school work, or equivalent"
"A high school education as now given
says the superintendent of another town,
should be the requirements for admis-
sion to normal schools
'GradlIatiOn from an apnrOvad Minoa-
sofa high school, says another
One from Southern Minnesota SAYS:
only graduates of high schools having
amount to this, determined upon strict
examination, should enter normals.''
cities Of the state writes: II a have Been been
very much pleased with the movement
to bring the normal schools into the work
1t has been very unwise to congregate
| large numbers of young immature pupils
at these schools for no other purpose than
giving them mere grammar school edu-
cation, which could be given with greater
advantage at their respective home high
schools"
MAKE THEM PROFESSIONAL
''The normal schools should be strictly
ments for admission should be gradually
increased till high school diploma is
necessary for admission This should
result inside Of five years. says
other.
From an educator of high rank In Min
nesota: Admit only graduates from high
preparation. Require schools having state
| aid to receive all properly prepared
pupils in the seventh and eighth grades,
as well as in the high school proper, that
work in the so-called common branches
may be fairly adequate. Have the normal
schools do professional work. Add to
! the normal course plenty Of actual teach
ing and broadly philosophical criticism"
Every fair-minded educator in the
state will stand by the board in it's effort
to cut out the elementary course from
the normal school programme. In do
ing this the normal school is made more
Of credit to the state" says a Southern
Minnesota superintendent.
'"Fhe time is ripe. says another. for
the passing of the traditional normal
school, These schools should be pro
academies or high schools. as they are
| at present This reform. If brought about,
I will greatly advance the cause of educa-
| ton not only in this state, but in the
| country
For practical work, says another: II
have seen so much Of the. injustice high
school graduates suffer in competition
with normal graduates that l welcome
the proposed change. AS the conditions
now are pupil leaves school at the
close of the eighth grade, enters a normal
and In two, or at the most, three years,
graduates with diploma that represents
/ Just as much as one held by. a high school
graduate who has spent. four years Of
| hard work in the high school and one In
the normal This discrimination is unfair.
and is doing ,n,1 much harm n to the teaching
in a position to give better training so
far education goes than can be secur-
should be left to give the theory and
practice to pupils who already have the
knowledge Of the elementary subjects"
Another superintendent says: IF the
normal schools do not offer the high
school work, those anxious to obtain it
will go to the high schools-and then to
the normals. Minnesota has for years
supported these four high schools for
such they have been and still arej, at the
expense of the whole state, while the
others are supported by local taxation. I
| do not blame the normal school people for
desiring a big enrolment. 1t is a nice
thing to be able to say: Our normal has
| 800 Students But If one-half or more are
seventh and eighth grade and high school
pupils, how farcical it all seems-or rath-
ef would seem If the state were not called
on to foot the bill. Under the present
arrangement graduates of normal schools
who have done their secondary or high
school work there are not as thorough
| as graduates of an average high school.
Let the honorable board of normal direc-
tors visit a number OF good high schools
and compare the quality of instruction.
time devoted to each subject with CORES
spending features at the normal schools.
'If the normal schools, says one,
"were to retain their model schools and
two-year professional course for high
school graduates, they would have all
| that properly belongs to them, and in a
| few years would have all the patronage
they could handle. At present they are
state academies with a year two Of
| professional work tackled on at the end
| of the course. But If outside the model
department the work were made strictly
| professional there would be ample time
! for a thorough review Of the common
branches in the light of the pupils high
| school training
| CARRIES LADS" AND BITES.