The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-05-21
More! About the NtorrI,IlTailIIs.5

Iff4, ~ 2
More About the Nornalss VI "
Never having lodged any! fssue, Of
failed Ito speak out lt$meetin' on any
subject whatever. We can only ex,
plain the following from the State
Journal by; the supposi'ion that we
have not been fully understood:
The Charleston Mall is either for
or against the Normal schools. I,
should come out boldly like the State
Journal and be eitaer against or for
them.
The Mail Is for the normal schools
II they are doing any good in tlla
training Of teachers. and we want ell
Of them y treated fairly. II they IRE
not doing the work we believe that
they should be improved and abol.
lshea only when some better plan Is
found.
It seems TO be an open question
whether the much.mooted order Of
the regents Is fair and Just to all
concerned. In making such posi-.
ton the regents have made Il clear
that%in their opinion the six schools
as heretofore conducted have not
been producing the desired results.
Il Is not to be believed that the
regents. who, are experienced cdu
Gators and men OF probity. have been
guided by any other influence than
that OF duty to the trust imposed In
them. II is presumed thit they found
the present condition Of the six
schools unsatisfactory. and not hay
Ing teachers than OF placating Ger.
then,, selected the two at Fatrmont
and Huntington. Doubtless they
thought more Of training and equip,
Ing teachers than Of pracating Ger
tain communities.
There have been number OF
questions raised in this controversy
that should be, aud could he, decided
without destroying the normal
schools. Are the four schools badly
located? Does the Siate need SLY
schools? Should all Of them be
abolished? How many OF Inc stu
Dents take up teaching?
This last question Is one Of the
most important. vest Virginia Is
Experiencing q remarkable icvel03
ment and consequent increase VI
population. Under Republican ruiz
the State's standard of education hes
Ibeen raised until II Is above that OF
ost southern States. .a.-, NJ
:. There are more schools in West
Virginia than ever before. Last year
there was real shortage Of accept,
able and efficient teachers and to re-
tieve the situation the State superin
: tenlcnt authorized the holding of an
other uniform examination throughon.
the State SO that applicants who had
previous failed could try again for Ger
tificates. E--t--.s
;. The normals. we believe, were de-
. signed for the training and equip
meilt Of teachers. Well, We need thu
teachers. How many normal stu
dents are teaching? From what We
know OF the teachers of the State We
answer very few. There should he
more. The teachers should he induced
TO attend the schools rather than abol
lsh them because Of The failure to al,
tend.
| Perhaps one reason why few ST.
dents are teaching IS that by the
time they secure The training there
they lind broader opportunities IL
other fields. There is not much Il
attract one to the teaching profes
sion. One mRst have a spirit OF self
sacrifice. an inclination to devote
his life to the good of the community
and a willingness to subsist on a DIT
|tance.
Now before the normals are abol
i:fed let lis have another and better
plan OF teacher training. II We nend
those SIX schools let us bring all Of
them up to the standard Of those at
Fairmont and Huntington. 1t will
be 4 step backward 10 quit doing any.
thing for the teachers. We must train
them, but how? ~
The State spends vast sums for tn ,
university compared TO which tie
normals get only pittance. The uni.
verslty student eqnlps himself for an
individual career while the fellow at
the normal goes, or Ia supposed to GO
back home and lmnart his learning to
others.-Charleston Mail.
J The Product Of the Normals.
The Morgantown Post still pro.