Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1904-08-11

in many important reforms; she first
removed the legal disabilities of mar
ried women; first adopted measures TO
restrict negro suffrage: first built a
great college and industrial institute
for the young women of the common
wealth and made adequate provisions
for its support and enlargement.
Therefore it is highly appropriate that
the most original and unique normal
school for the training of primary
teachers ever held in the Southern
States should have been projected by
Mississippi's able and energetic State
superintendent, Henry L. Whitfield,
and peculiarly fitting that its first ses-
sion should have been held at the
Industrial Institute and College at Co.
lumbus.
A normal school was held at Oxford,
Miss, in the summer of 1908, at which
nearly 1000 teachers were enrolled.
While the work done there was of the
highest order of excellence, yet it was
felt by Superintendent Whitfield that
there ought to be great normal for
the primary teachers alone. Primary
work Is rapidly coming into proper
and intelligent recognition as the one
department in which our educational
work has been weakest. So backward
are we in this work that the wonder
full science and practical skill OF the
Kindergarten are almost unknown in
our State save as a name and theory.
seeing mind, conceived that if his
great scheme of primary and second
ary education is to reach its destined
development stress must be laid upon
the part played by the primary teach
er in our comprehensive system. 1t is
a waste of time for the primary teach
er to be compelled to attend all or
even a part of the lectures given at
the average summer school for teach
ers. On the other hand, sufficient
time cannot be given for thorough and
adequate preparation of primary teach
ers alone Hence the necessity OF the
normal for primary teachers.
Inasmuch as it is something new in
the Southern States, it is deemed
worthy of special note in these col
umns There are some features at
tached to 1t that ought to be of in
terest in Southern educational circles,
as this is their first introduction in
the South The course was confined
to primary work. including grades
from the kindergarten to the sixth.
There were two daily sessions, one
in the morning and one in the after
noon. The morning session constitut-
ed sort of laboratory, there being a
model school of about fifty children,
the classes being conducted by the
instructors, under the observation or
the teachers, who were attending in
the capacity of students. The after
noon session consisted in lectures on
the various branches of instruction
taught.
The session was held in the Indus
trial Institute and College buildings,
which are large and commodious, well
fitted for the work and capable of ac-
commodating very large number OF
attendants. Large and well-furnished
dormitories, surrounded by extensive
and beautiful grounds, added very ma
terially to the pleasure and comfort
of the teachers. 1t is the testimony of
the visitors and instructors that they
never saw gathering of its size at
which there was such complete unan-
unity in the expressions OF sausfac-
ton and delight on the part OF those
who attended. There was something
better and of more practical and last
ing advantage than this. There are
very few schools in Mississippi thor
oughly fitted with necessary apparatus
for primary work in language, geog-
raphy, reading, physiology, manual
training, etc, and thousands OF honest,
earnest and ambitious teachers in the
rural schools never saw such appara-
tus. Knowing that it would be impos-
sible for Mississippi at present to fur
nish such apparatus, since she has no
normal school for the training of her
teachers, Miss Ward, whom Superin-
tendent Whitfield selected to manage
the school, borrowed all kinds of up
to-date and expensive apparatus from
the Chicago schools, brought it to
Mississippi and set up a model school
and our rural teachers received an OBJ
ject lesson which they could have
learned nowhere else save in the
North This was of untold value and
benefit. The scheme was to have
model classes, taught by model teach
ers in a model schoolroom under the
most favorable conditions, and it sue
ceeded in most wonderful way, as
every one of the $50 teachers Will
gladly testify. Not only this, but pub
fishers sent beautiful works on nature
study, language work; supply houses
furnished samples and materials for
manual training; music houses sent
school music and song books, while
art supply houses gave costly and
complete collections of pictures, paint
ings, models, ETC., and with all Of these
actual work was done by real children
and observed by rural teachers who
could not have seen the same save at
great expense and long travel. both en-
tirely beyond reach. All this, how
ever, would have been as dead mate
rial had there not been accomplished
and skillful teachers to breathe into
all the spirit of life and power. What
may be said of the instructors is not
meant to disparage any member of
our own magnificent body of teachers.
God bless them all; they are doing the
mightiest work in our commonwealth,
but thev- are awfully handicapped.
Mississippi has no normal school. Her
rural teachers are poorly paid and
cannot bear the expense of a trip
where such work under like conditions
Is given as was at Columbus. Rural
schools are miserably equipped
Where, then, was Superintendent
Whitfield to find the best equipment
and the most skillful instructors