Daily inter mountain., 1900-12-27

LARGEST IN
ITS HISTORY
Continued from Page Five.l
vigor whose uncoiling may whirl the

vigor whose uncoiling may whir the
Spheres
The normal school has. it is needless
70 say. met to a considerable degree all
of these anticipations of Horace Mann
No other government in the world has
Vet secured for its people SO great an en-
thuSiasm for popular education as We
find at home. In no other country in
the world is schooling so free as in our
own. In almost every state in the
Union the high standard of pedagogical
training and educational qualifications
in the teacher. set by the normal schools,
t has eventually made it impossible for a
low grade Of teaching or inferior ideals
OF culture long TO persist. In all but the
newest states the self-made teacher is
! avowedly as bungled a product as the
self-made clergyman. or lawyer. or
physician. This is as it ought TO be-
For assuredly the teacher unprepar I'd
for his profession does quite as much
harm to society as the ignorant doctor
or lawyer or minister. There is, how
ever, this difference: In some cases
and in some communities the quack or
+ the pettifogger may do quite as good
| work as the skilled specialist. While the
teacher who lacks high ideals and the
framing necessary to realize them in
the school-room, always defrauds to
some degree every one of the youth
destined TO be under his charge, of that
precious inheritanee-the 'birthright of
every American child-the right to the
very best training for c. citizenship and
usefulness.
The value of the normal school is
! quite generally recognized. That is not
the trouble. 1t is the anomalous policy
pursued quite generally, it must be con-
fessed-a policy by which. while the i'm
portance of supporting a state institu-
ton for the elevation of the standard
of teaching is duly recognized. on the
/ contrary. the legaliZing of the granting
usually on easy termS-of county GER
tificates. given-as they always are
/ upon an examination of the candidates
scholarship mainly. and with little or no
regard for his fitness to teach or as an
evidence of his pedagogical knowledge
or training. Thus, to certain extent
the one agency undoeS the work of the
other. While the normal school holds
up. it may be, a high standard of etfi-
cheney and pedagogical preparations as
necessary in all its graduates. the coun-
~ license, in effect, says an unframed
and. in many cases, an inexperienced
that the way is open. then. through
the county examinations for most if not
all of the elementary and secondary
school work of our state to be done by
unframed teachers, and thus the results
and ideals sought to be attained by the
normal school would be largely mega
lFed. Another considera tion, too has
nuch weight in this matter The un-
tfalned and inexperienced teacher can
afford to accept a lower rate Of wages
than one who has spent both time and
money IN securing the training and
preparation necessary for the best work.
Thus salaries are reduced or kent so low
that there is no financial inducement
for Would-be teachers to make any ef-
fort to secure for themselves the pro.
fessional training afforded by the nor
mai school. With this state of things
IN view, it is clear that the present
arrangements for granting county Ii
censes in our state are over-liberal and
that certain notifications of their pro-
visions should be made with view
10 bringing the issuance of them more
INTO harmony with the spirit that should
Illuminate all VINO have at heart the
true interests OF the educational system
of Montana, viz: high standard of ex-
SO, the best welfare and greatest eff
clency in her elementary. secondary and
collegiate educational work.
In the educational system of the state
each institution has it's place and dis
! tinct purpose. While the subjects OF
study may. in some cases necessarily
be similar. yet the manner of treating
all subjects should ever be. that apnro-
pirate to the school in which it is pur
! sued. In doing all it's work. the end
| gefmane to the institution must ever he
sought. 1t is not SO much the iuplica-
| 1loh OF subjects as the duplication of
| functions that we need to guard against
! Nhat matters it that chemistry or alce-
! efa or literature are taught in the nor
! maj school, in the school of mines. in
the agricultural college and in the uni
/ NefSlty, II in the one institution those
studies are pursued with sole reference
to their value in the preparation q,
teachers for their profession: in another
with reference to securing the educa
tlonal equipment of a mining cneinear.
IN another, with regard to their use ir
enllghtenins the daily life of the future
farmer; in still another, with respec1
to their contributions to the genera
culture OF its graduates. The carpente,
uses the same kit of tools whether he
pulldS house or bookcase. The sim
alarlty IN studies pursued at anv two
INSTITUTIONS does not necessarily make
the institutions similar. 1t is the char
actefistlc use made of those studies tha
becomes the determining factor.
We have in our state an ed,1cationa
system OF which we may we'll be proud
1t is one of the best in the lislion. Witt