Omaha daily bee., 1900-01-31
ARE NORMAL SCHOOLS NEEDED
Question Of Great Importance to the Country
Schools Of Nebraska.
ALLEGED SCARCITY COMPETENT TEACHERS
Some Evils of the Present Educn-
tionnl system Pointed Out and
Some Methods criticised
educational Notes.
ALLEGED SCARCITY COMPETENT TEACHERS

The alleged need OF more normal train
Ing schools in Nebraska was the subject
OF an important address delivered at a re-
cent meeting of county. school ]superin-
tendents by Mr.. c, w. Crum, superintend-
ent Of schools Of Madison. Mr.. Crum is
chairman of a committee of county super
intendents organized to press the subject
upon the attention OF the people and bring
1t before the next legislature. The argu-
ment in favor of Increasing the facilities
for training teachers is clearly put by Mr..
Crum, and he also reveals the steady de-
cline of county schools, a condition that APP
peals for prompt remedial measures.
Mr.. Crum's address is as follows:
Does Nebraska need more than one State
Normal school?
This question has been before educational
gatherings and the people OF the state for
q goodly number of years. Every state SUI
perintendent, with one exception, during
the last twenty years has argued for and
urged the necessity of more normal train
Ing schools under the control Of the state.
The question has been before every session
OF our state Legislature for the same length
Of time. The state superintendent is brought
Into closer relation with all departments of
school work than any other person in the
tldle, III no one Is better QuAilueN tnan
he to voice the needs of the schools. He.
above all others, is in a position to know
the needs OF the schools. 1t will be of in
terest to know what these men have said
touching this question
In 1885 State Superintendent Jones said
There is immediate necessity for two ad-
ditional normal schools. Three more schools
well located would be we'll attended from
the start. There are hundreds of teachers
in the state who would be glad to avail
themselves of normal training"
In 1892 State Superintendent Goudy said:
81 am convinced that the schools need and
the state ought to have more normal schools
and so ! the establishment c.
two additional normals which may for three
or four years undertake to do no more than
take teachers through a course of instruc-
tion similar to the elementary course in
the Peru Normal, together with a terms
study of the history and philosophy of. edu-
cation" In 1894 Mr.. Goudy repeated the
same words.
In 1896 State superintendent Corbett urged
the people of Nebraska to provide literally
the means OF normal training, and said
The demand Of the times is emphatic tina,
teachers shall fifty prepare for their work
No teacher can fail to do so without injus,
tice both to self and school"
In 1898. our present superintendent says
"a very inadequate proportion of our teach
ors ever attend the state normal, or ever
a private normal. This deficient professional
preparation of the public school teacnel
cannot continue il our schools keep I'D witt
the advance made in all other departments
of human progress. The training of tht
teachers of the schools of our state shoul5
be an object OF deepest concern on the par
Of our legislators. There should be at leas
one more we'll equipped state normal schoo
in Nebraska; indeed. there is room AM
need of two more schools"
30 These are, the opinions of our state super.
intendents. Now let us examine into som.
of the conditions that confront the school!
and people of the state that called out thes,
opinions.
Shortage of Trained Teachers.
The records show that in 1892 II per cen
of the teachers of the state had attende,
some normal school. In connection will
these figures the state superintendent SAYS
"Of this small number 1t is no doubt tru
that most of them have attended a norma
school for but a short time. and ii Is a
probably true that in many cases the nor
nal school attended was one in name only.
In 1894 20 per cent OF the teaching force ha
attended normals. In commenting on tn
conditions the state superintendent declare
that this is not due to the carelessnes
az the teachers; it is largely due to lac
Of facilities for better preparation" In 1879
% per cent OF the teachers had bad som
training. largely of the same doubtful char
acter before mentioned. We are doubles
not far from the truth when we assume tina
fully so to So per cent Of our teaching fore
has had no professional training worthy c
the name.
Another important element Is the rapidit
Of change in teaching force. I have persona
reports from the superintendent Of eigh:
cen counties, having l,7O6 rural teacher
and COZ grade teachers or the l,7O6 rurG
teachers only 43 per cent have been in IN
work two years and of the 607 grad
teachers only As per cent have been in tn
work two years. In other words, since SEP
TENDER, 1897. the positions held by 81 pc
cent of rural teachers and 80 per cent {
grade teachers have bcon vacated and Rlle
with new material. This proves that 90