The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-05-21
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Y ,.E...55

More About the Normals. 3.
Never having lodged any Issue; Of
failed 10 speak out in tneetint on, my
subject whatever. We can only, es
tplain the following from the State
Journal hy the siippositlon that we
have not been fnliy understood:
The Charleston Mail is either 70,
or against the Normal schools. |,
should come out boldly like the Stat
Journal and be eitntr against or for
them.
Tie Mali is for the normal schools
II they are dding any good In tl,s
training Of teachers, and we want Z i
of them treated fairly. Ii they IRE
mot doing the work We believe that
they should be improved and abol
ished only when some better plan is
found.
Il seems to be an open question
whether the much,mooted order OIL
the regents Is fair and Just to al
concerned. In making such n posi-
ton the regents have made Il clea,
that in their opinion the SIX schools
as heretofore conducted have moi
been producing the desired results.
Il Is not to be believed that The
regents, who, are experienced cdu
Gators and men OF probI,y. have beer
guided by any other influence than
that OF duty to the trust imposed r.
them. 1t is presumed that they found
the present condition Of The 81,
schools unsatisfactory. and not hav
Ing teachers than Of placaiing Ger
THEFT. selected the two at Fairmon,
and Huntington. Doubtless the,
thought more Of training and equip
Ing teachers than Of pracating Ger
tain communities.
There have been number o.
questions raised In this c0ntrovers,
that should be. aud could he, decided
without destroying the norma
schools. Are the four schools badi,
located? Does the State need 81,
schools? Should all Of them b.
abolished? How many Of the stu
dents take up teaching? Es
This last question is one Of The
most important vest Virginia Ii
Experiencing a remarkable develop
mcnt and consequent increase y
population. Under Republican rub
the staie's standaftl of education he.
tbeen raised unfit tt is above that o
!, ost southern States. m
1 There are more schools IN IVES
Virginia than ever before. Last yea
there was real shortage Of accept
able and efficient teachers and to re
; lieve the situation the State superin
tendcnt authorized the holding Of an
: other uniform examination Throughout
the State so that applicants who ha,
previous failed coHla try again for Ger
Itifcates. s.
The nOrmals, we believe, were lie
j. Isigned for the training and equiv
ment of teachers. Well we need III,
teachers. How many normal STU
dents are teaching? From what W,
know OF the teachers of the State w
ANSWER very few. There should II,
more. The teachers should be induce,
10 attend the schools rather than aboi
ish them because Of The failure to al
TEND.
Perhaps one reason why few ST.
dents are teaching is that by ,h'
time they secure The training there
they lind broader opportunities |:
other fields. There Is not much t,
attract one to The teaching profes
sion. One must ilave n spirit of self
sacrifice. an inclination TO dcvot,
his life to the good of the communit.
and a willingness 10 subsist on pit
tance.
Now before the normals are abol
llshed let us have another and bette,
plan Of teacher training. II we ner,
those six schools let us bring all .
them up to the standard Of those a
Falrmont and Huntington. It vii
be step backward 10 quit doing any
thing for the teachers. We must trail
them, but how?
I The State spends vast sums for tn,
university compared to which I'll,