New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1901-07-13
EDUCATIONAL.
EDUCATING TEACHERS.

In a recent editorial article the
Homer Guardian-Jo Journal discusses
the provisions of the State law
which exempts graduates from the
State Normal School at Natchi-
toches from undergoing examina-
tions at the hands of the parish
school boards. AS the Guardian
Journal correctly observes the grad
yates of Harvard, or Johns Hop
kins, or of the State University and
every other school are required to
undergo such examinations, but it
does not consider it fair that the
graduates of the State Normal
School should enjoy such exemp-
ton. Our morning contemporary,
the Picayune, discussing the mat
ter, appears to endorse the position
of the Guardian journal, and with
singular inconsistency argues
against the examinations required
of graduates from the law and
medical departments Of Tulane.
Looking at the matter superficial
ly it would appear that if the state
discriminates in favor of the grad
yates of the State Normal School it
should extend this same discrimi-
nation to its other official State
schools, and in consequence admit
without examination the graduates
of the law and medical schools of
Tulane. Considered abstractly such
logic would appear faultless and
incontrovertible, but other consid-
eratiOns enter into the question
which in some degree alter the
situation. These we shall consider
as briefly as possible.
The exemption of graduates of
the State Normal School from local
examinations is based upon the
well-recognized fact that the scar
city of competent teachers makes
necessary some action looking to
encouraging the youth of the State
to enter the profession of teaching.
In several of the parishes it is diff
ficult to secure competent teachers,
and it was in order to meet the con-
stantly growing demand for COM
petent teachers to take charge of
the States free schools that the
Normal School was established. 1t
differs from any other State school
in that it is designed entirely for
the training of teachers, and every
student who enters there obligates
himself to devote given number
of years to the profession of teach
ing. Its curriculm is framed with
the one object in view of turning
out men and women thoroughly
versed in the science and art of the
pedagogical profession, and its
faculty is composed Of men and wo-
men who have made the science of
teaching life study. 1t maintains
a large practice school in which the
prospective teachers are given prac-
tical training in the theories and
principles which they have studied
in the text-b books, and when STU
dent receives diploma at the Nor
NAL School he is thoroughly equip
ped for the work of teaching. In
order to encourage young men and
women to take up the profession
of teaching, the State gives tuition
free and in return it exacts from
the graduates pledge to devote
given period to the work of teach
ing.
It is natural that having received
such special technical training to
equip himself for a given profess
sion, the graduate Of the State Nor
NAL School, all else being equal, is
much better qualified to take charge
of school and to conduct it sue
cessfully than graduate of the
State University, or of any other
university that does not give this
technical training Moreover, the
State having required of the grad
uate a pledge to teach number Of
years is in reason obliged to fur
nish the graduate with the oppor-
tunity to carry out his part Of the
and hence what occurs to
us, the provision of the law exempt
ing them from the farce Of under
going an examination at the hands |
Of local boards. To sum the mat
ter up in few words: the State
undertakes to turn out thoroughly
equipped teachers for its own