The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-05-13
Real Normal schools.


What are termed normal schools
In this State have beyond disputed
done a most excellent work but real
" not of the normal sort. The
truth is educators do not look upon
them as actual normal schools. They
never were and never will be under
the present system, nor win they be
under the new plan the board of
regents has adopted, that of short
ening the course one year at most
OF the normals and concentrating
work to two of the so-called normals.
The subject is one that demands
a great deal of thought and the exer-
else of the best possible Judgment.
The schools are maintained at
great deal of expense to the State.
The name normal signifies that their
mission is to turn out teachers, but
their history does not conform very
well to this. In truth, their gradu-
ates often do not measure up to the
standard of teachers. The State it
self recognized this fact and its
Legislature disapproved of the prac-
tice of giving normal graduates, as
they were called, credit at examina-
lions, but placed them on the basis
that others stood on at examinations.
Indeed, 1t was commonly known and
became to be a joke that the diplo-
mas of these graduates bore false
hood so glaring, when 1t came to the
application of the knowledge acquir-
ed in some of these schools, that the
mere reference toRtLs feature of the
diploma discredited it and the So
called normal schools. Diplomas
were issued for something that the
graduates had really not achieved,
and their knowledge of pedagogy was
to say the least very limited. They
really had had but little normal
work and were not prepared for the
teaching profession.
Again. from the normal work
standpoint. which is supposed to be
especially designed for the training
of men and women to become teach
ers. very small percent of the
graduates of these, schools have ever
chosen the teachers profession. In
stead, the large majority return to
their homes and take up other voca-
tions. Some become merchants,
others farmers, still others mechan-
les and the like, and thus from the
viewpoint of pedagogy the work of
these schools has not measured up
to the actual object of their exist
ence.
However, the Telegram does not
decry the work they have done. 1t
has been most helpful to the citizen
ship and the cause of education, that
is to say, these schools have been
the means of a higher education for
the thousands who have attended
them. In other words, they have
been most excellent high schools and
not normal schools in any true
sense or much degree of the word.
AS such high schools they have been
successes, but as normals failures.
Doubtless, they. should be con-
tinued and perhaps as central high
schools as they are now with pos
sibly sim greater curriculum, but.
n they are to be known as normal
schools. they should be made such
and of such character as that dip
Tomas given by them will mean some
thing to the graduate who goes out
to teach. The question here arises
can such course of normal instruc-
ton be adopted without great addi-
tional expense? Normal training is
very expensive requiring specialists
ii pedagogy. VINO command fine
salaries. With this the case. 1t
might be best to have not more than