The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1904-09-23

4 The board Of management Of the
state normal school at Mayville has
taken steps to correct some state
rnents made concerning the manage
ment Of the state institution commit
ted to its care, and has issued the fol-
lowing:
A statement recently appeared in
the public press which we have rea-
son to believe emanated from a person
who was formerly teacher at the
state normal school at Mayville, but
whose services were no longer desired
and who was permitted to resign to
avoid being dismissed, and which is
calculated to deceive the public and
injure the institution.
The statement to which we refer
contained the following:
First-The attendance of the school
has decreased from year to year dur
ing the present administration, which
began with the year 1897 and 1898.
:: :=Socond-That many students who
attend one year do not remain to grad
uate.
Third-That the school is attracting
young people from other states and
Canada and educating them at the ex-
pensc of North Dakota.
Fourth-rhat the school is extrava-
giant in expanding the states money.
We pass over some other assertions
of no particular interest to the public
and invite attention to brief reply to
each of the above
As to Attendance.
First-The year before the begin
ming of the present administration, in
1875, the total attendance at the
school, including boys and girls living
in Mayville, which at that time did not
have high school, was 1923; the total
attendance last year, which did not
include local high school pupils, as
Mayvillc now has well-equipped high
school of the first class, was 376. The
376 do not include children of the
practice department, as we have an
arrangement with the board of edu-
cation of Mayville for using the city
school as a school of observation and
practice. The first graduating class OF
the present administration numbered
three; the graduating class for last
year numbered twenty-six. The differ
ence between 129 and 376 is a graft,
flying increase in attendance, and the
fact that Mayville now furnishes high
school education for it's young people
shows that the attendance at the, nor
NAL school, while growing larger, is
less local than formerly.
And the fact that large per cent
of last years class consisted of grad
uate students-high school, college
and university-still further empha.
sizes the fact that the school is rap
idly becoming more professional.
Second-It is true that many of our
students who attend one year do not
remain to graduate. This is true of all
educational institutions, and especially
so of a school that devotes its ener
gies exclusively to the training OF
teachers in rapidly developing state
where the demand for teachers great
ly exceeds the supply. The first year
of our course qualities our students to
obtain a second-grade teachers Ger
tificate, and they are subject to great
pressure to accept well-paying posi-
lions at the end of their first year;
but the increase of our graduating
" class from three to twenty-six is en-
couraging and shows that larger pei
cent of the tota attendance now grad
yates than formerly.
Soft impeachment Admitted.
Third-The statement that we draw
students from other. states and from
Canada, and get them ready to teach
in the schools of our state is true; and
we hope the number of such students
will increase. The other states and
Canada have. cause to complain, but