The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-11-25
Schools Grow, But the Demand
for Teachers Increases.
Request for $453, 486 for the
Next Two Years.
President Eastman Says In.
crease Imperative.
From Fridays Daily.


Appropriations for the state normal
schools aggregating $453, 4S5 are recon-
mended by the biennial report submitted
to Governor Van SAINT yesterday by Al
yah Eastman, president of the normal
school board. The board asks for $685.
235 for the fiscal year of 1906 and
Sl95, $50 for l9O6-7 Most of the appro-
priations recommended are for general
maintenance and for repairs and I'M
provements to the five normal schools
of the state. An increased appropriation
is imperative, states the report.
The appropriations recommended are:
1905 6-Winona, $4475O; Mankato, $45,-
$50; st. Cloud, $52,45O; Moorhead, $45,'
$50; Duluth, $68,535; total, $25S,235.
l9OS-7-Winona, $4O,750; Mankato, SAL
ESQ; st. Cloud, $43,75O; Moorhead, $780,
$50; Duluth, $29, $50; total, $l95,25 To-
tai for two years, $453,4S5.
The large appropriation recommended
for the Duluth school is caused by an
item of $35 900 for a ladies' hall.
Mr.. Eastman says in the report that
every unnecessary item has been re-
jected and the recommendation submit
ted contains only items that are to keep
the normal schools abreast with educa-
tional progress in other states.
The report states that the normal
schools have been especially active in the
educational field in Minnesota for the
past two years. 1t says:
"The argument is sometimes made that
the graduates of the normal schools do
not render service to the state, but
this is absolutely without foundation, as
it was ascertained two or three years
ago that less than per cent have failed
to keep their pledges to render their full
quota of actual service as instructors IN
the public schools.
notwithstanding the growth of the
normal schools during the past two years
and the increase in the number of the
graduates, they still have failed to keep
pace with the demands made upon them
by the public schools for trained teachers.
This demand is growing because OF the
great advancement of public school senti-
ment for better schools and more effl-
o;opf foooharS
"The demand for normal graduates as
the result of these better conditions in
the public schools is so great that the
normal schools cannot possibly meet one
fourth of the calls made upon them. AS
an illustration of this, one institution
has had within month calls from twen-
ey-seven counties for over four hundred
and fifty normal school graduates more
than they were able to supply, and this
at salaries ranging from $45 to $55 per
month.
"The normal schools of Minnesota are
fast becoming cosmopolitan in the per-
sonnet of their students. In one school
there are represented thirty nationali-
ties, including all the countries of Europe
save two"
The restoration to the curriculum of
the three years course, the report says,
has been most beneficial in preventing a
dearth of teachers in the rural schools. 1t
was feared that this would draw from
the weaker high schools who also fur
nish applicants for certain grades of
teachers certificates. The report states
that no decrease in the attendance of the
high schools of the state has been no.
ticed and that never before has there
been such harmony between the educa-
tional institutions of the state.
A special plea is made for summer
schools. The legislature is asked to con-
tribute to their support so that during
the few weeks that they are in session
they may have a full curriculum, such as
is offered by the same schools during the
winter terms. They receive at present
which is inadequate to meet the cost of
running at full capacity for the six
weeks that they are in session. For the
last two years the normal schools have
conducted summer schools and have had
an attendance of nearly 1900 pupils. 1t
is a shert sighted policy, the report says
to allow the expensive plants, libraries
and other resources of the schools to lie
dormant when so many of the rural
school teachers. could be benefited by the
six weeks study in the summer.
The enrolment of the schools has
steadily increased. During the years
I902-O3 the total enrolment was 2.45.
and in 10000 it was 2,79S, net in
crease of l6 per cent.
The financial reports of the heads OF
the schools show that they are in good