The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-12-25
Superintendent Olson Has New
Educational System.
STATE TO AID AND SUPERVISE
Would Coupls Training OF the Rural
School Teachers With High School
Training In Agriculture.

County agricultural schools witt
state aid and supervision Viii De rec
commended ~ j. ". Olsen, state super
Iintendent or public instruction, in hi,
coming biennial report. Mr.. Olsen la:
been working for years on the idea o.
rural school consolidation, and his plan
for county agricultural schools include,
another feature. lie would have two
courses given in the proposed county
schools, one for pupils who do not in.
tend to do any teaching. but to remain
on the farm, and the other to prepare
rural school teachers for their work
He believes. says The Minneapolis
Journal. that the lack of proper train
ing OF rural teachers is one of the
great faults in the present system
Mr.. 0lsen's idea is. somewhat like
the Wisconsin system. which has been
urged on the Minnesota legislature by
Speaker L. III. Johnson of Minneapolis
1t goes further, however. and Mr.
|Olsen is not in favor of having the
schools located by the legislature, as
the house attempted to do. lie would
have the law passed with an appropri-
alton for state aid TO limited num-
Der, and have the money go to the
counties which first met the require
ments.
No Objection to National System.
Il have no objection to the system
vided by the Davis bill,n said Mr.. Oh
sen today. Il do not see that there is
any necessary conflict between the
two, but it is not likely that the pro-
posed national system will be put I'M
der way for some years ut least. Mean
while there is nothing to prevent our
making trial of the system in this
state.
..The last two years have seen a
marked and growing interest in agri.
cultural education among our country
teachers and the farming commune
ties. Lit will be remembered that a
manifest interest in this phase of edu.
cation was shown by the members of
the last legislature. Practically all
the members appreciated the need in
this direction, but so many plans were
proposed that none of them matured
i'll actual legislation.
Normal Schools Are Crowded.
Our normal schools at present have
practically all the students that they
can properly care for-sone of them
more. At a recent meeting of the state
normal board it was found necessary
TO limit the attends nee, and the school
at st. Cloud has been compelled to
deny entrance to large number of
applicants. But at no time have the
normal schools supplied the rural
schools with any considerable number
of their graduates or, indeed. with u
large number of their undergraduates.
Most of these find work that is more
congenial in the villages and towns.
Many OF our county superintendent
and others. realizing the need of pro-
fessional training for country teachers,
believe that a number OF county nor
mai training schools should be estab-
lished. to be supported i'll part by the
state and III part by the county
In view OF the evident need for
bringing agricultural instruction closer
TO the homes of the farming popula-
ton. and OF having rural teachers pro-
fessionally trained. | shall recommend
legislative provision for the establish.
ment of limited number of such
county schools. to be supported partly
by the state and partly by the coun-
ties in which they are located; the
schools to offer two courses-one for
those designing to become farmers OF
the wives of farmers. and the other for
those who desire training that will fit
them for rural teaching. If a small
number of such schools were estab-
lished as typical institutions to meet
this dual need. they would in few
years enable the state to determine
the wisdom of their continuance in
Ilroat- rfinher ,,