The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-08-07
WORK REVIEWED.
The State Normal Summer Trainiio
School.
From Tuesdays Daily.

The phenomenal success of the Sum-
mer training school which has just clos
ed in this city is matter of pride to
the educational interests of the state.
the normal school and to the citizens of
Mankato. The teachers of the state
have long been demanding summer
schools in which they could pursue
studies on which credit could be gained
that would apply on course of normal
training A few years ago the legisla-
ture,as an experiment,appropriatedm money
for two years continuous course of the
normal schools at Mankato and Winona.
During the two summer terms of these
schools large number of experienced
teachers enrolled for regular work and
these chiefly teachers who could not or
would not stop teaching for year to 90
to school. The continuous session plan
was in every way success and, while
in vogue, the enrolment at Mankato ran
up to sol in the normal department, full
ly twice what it was before or has been
since. At the close of the experiment the
legislature did not appropriate money to
continue the plan, simply on the ground
of expense, so the work had to be dis
continued.
For number of years credit work has
been offered in one section of the univer-
sity summer school and it has been very
popular, so in response to strong demands
from county superintendent and teach
|ers State Superintendent Olsen arranged
for summer schools in the normal schools
at Moorhead, st. Cloud and Mankato
during the present summer which were
taught by the regular normal teachers
and in which credit work as well as
some review work to be offered. Those
who took work for credit took two sub
jects only and recited twice day thus
covering in six weeks in these two SUBJ
iects what would be done in twelve dur
ing regular term. At Mankato the
general and text book libraries and the
laboratories were open to all who had oc-
casion to use them and the work done
was of an unusually high grade. The
usual number of those who enrolled for
regular work gained credits in the
branches pursued and besides, a number
of those who took review gained credits
by taking examinations for advanced
standing at the close of the term.
The enrolment in all three of the nor
NAL schools has been large but that at
Mankato was the largest, reaching to-
tai of 1854. This is the largest enroll
ment of any summer school in the state
outside the university,
More than 100 of those who attended
the Mankato school could not enter until
the beginning of the third week be-
cause their schools had not yet closed.
These could not then enter the regular
classes so were compelled to take review
work, but as it was more than 200 en-
rolled in the regular normal classes.
Below we copy the summary of Presi-
dent Cooper's report to the state depart
ment which contains some interesting
statistics.
As State Superintendent Olsen has
said, these normal summer schools have
been an experiment, but the unqualified
endorsement which they have received
from county superintendent and teach
ers surely warrants their repetition next
year.
Average daily attendance, 2S7; average
age, BIB; average age began teaching,
lS.5.; number holding certificates, first
grade 33, second grade 1916, third grade
25; number who last taught, in graded
schools 3S, in ungraded schools 22l; aver
age number of months taught, 1925;
number of grades from common schools,
PAL; number of graduates from high
schools, l02; number of graduates from
normal schools, 81.