Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21

truth that as reward and result or
the struggles and persistent efforts OF
those most interested In educational af-
fairs, new era dawned In 1890. Beau
tiful and commodlous structures sprang
up as Il by magic on every side until
now in nearly every district in the state
the best and costllest building Is the
school house. In many cases a heavy
bonded Indebtedness was necessary, but
that was but q light obstacle. The
means found It's justification In the
end to be attained.
Increased revenues and more string
ent examinations paved the way for
better teachers. In fact, not only the
advantage but the absolute necessity
of normal raining for an extended
period of time was recognized. Normal
schools were called upon to furnish
more teachers and in response they
have endcavored not only to increase
the quantity, but also to add to the
quality. Our state Normal school
graduated in 1889 fifteen In the three
years normal course. In 1900 there
were siXty-one normal graduates aud
one hundred have asked to be GRADUATE
ed this year. A four years normal
course including practical work lor one
year under expert teachers was pro-
vided, and improved facilities were
added The adoption OF the graded
system throughout the state in 1880
qualified students better for the pre-
paratory department of the normal
school and furnished a large number
for It, Notwithstanding the fact that en-
trance requirements had become much
more exacting The normal school be-
came well patronized and the college
department grew In popularity.
Not until recent years have pupils
in many western cities been graded as
in our eastern centers of learning. How
ever, I'm the later eighties western
schools yielded to the subtle influence
OF the educational wave, II was then
that the most progressive districts be-
gan to discard the method OF classify
ing pupils according 70 reader, and 10
insist on q successful completion
Of work specified for a partlcu-
lar period before a pupil could be
promoted into an advanced class. 1t
was noted, too, that neither the reader
nor any other text book could be made
the basis of a classification that would
even to limited extent give satlsfac-
tlon. Different sets of readers very ma
terially both In quantity and nature OF
subject matter, and those of any CIV
en- set differ essentially In their scope
For these reasons and others, pedagosi'
cal IN their nature, there was pracu'
cally unanimity OF opinion among local
educators In favor Of graded system
based upon a quantity Of work meas
ured by a fixed element OF time, This
OF course commended at once the grad
ed system now I'm vogue throughout the
United States, and, In fact, In most
civilized countries, the only important
difference between America and other
countries being the time required for
the completion of the common school
course.
The graded system provides that pu-
pills may In conformity to law enter
school at the age Of six and by regus
lar attendance finish the grades at the
age of fourteen, at which time they
will be qualified by age and previous
preparation 10 begin the work Of the
High School, which commonly covers
period OF four years In our best high
schools, BY this time the student has
reached the age OF eighteen and Is
ready for the college course OF four
more years, providing his health and