Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1908-03-11

schools Of the State enter the sec
md years work ard graduates Of
the best high schools enter the
Junior year. 1t Is very evident,
therefore, that the first three years
Mt Farmville cover course about
equivalent to the highest gram
mar grades and the first TWO years
of high school work. Nearly 10
per cent. of the students 1T Farm
Vile are enrolled in these fist
three years. The small nun Der
(I6) in the fourth year indicates
that very few of these students
take the full work of the school
and go become thoroughly trained
teachers for TIE public schools of
Virginia. DOer rot the State Fe-
male Normal, therefore, fail in
Iarae measure to accomplish the
purpose for which it was eetab
lished2
"Would it rot I've much wiser
and more economical to have such
entrance requirements for the
State NOrmsl that these students
of the first three years would
have to attend the scLoO's neal
their homes. where they naturally
belong? If this were done, the teach
ing force and general equipment at
Farmville could Re concentrated on
strictly Normal aud advanced high
school work, covering a course Of
three ysars;and there would prohab-
ly be ample Accommodations for all
who wish to take special training
for the profession OF teaching. Eo
we not. at present, need norEal
school of higher grade, rather than
more nJrmt schools of the present
standardY"
The Journal in commenting on
Mr.. Waddel's Article has the fCl-
'twirg to say.
ave are constrained to call the
attention Of the leaders in our eda
ucatiOnal system 10 the short arti
Gle contributed by Professor Har-
rington Wsddell Of Lexington, on
"M0re Normals." Professor Wad.
dell has studied the courses offered
at Farmville, and finds that there
are many pupils at that institu-
tioa who belong tn the upper gram
mar grade or the first two high
school grades. Mr. WaddelI raises
the question as to whether We
ought to have any more rcrTaIs.
After careful thought, The editor
IF the Jou nal has concluded that
in many ways Mr.. Waddell is
right, that before We establish too
many normal schools, We should
have more eEd better organized
high schools so that our rOrma's
will not be forced to conduct high
school courses.
"rhe situation at Farmyille is
not due to the trustees or the pres
ident cf that institution, but 70
the conditions in Virginia Four
years ago, We did not hnVC q score
of county higa schools; today We
have about ons hundred and fifty,
and we believe that IN two years
more, the State Femal Normal
School at Fasmville can easily elm
mate many OF the classes ard de
vote it's energy chiefly to the
normal dep' rtmelt proper. lr
TWO years from now. the public
school system Of Virginia should
be rire for another normal school
without high school courses where
from 100 to $50 teachers can be
trained each year, ard four years
later there should be IA third norm
al. Within the course of decade,
there should be fer young ladies IN
Virginia, not less han four or fiv"
training schools without high
school courses attached. Such a
system will give US more and bet
ter trained teachers.
"The truth Of the matter is, our
formal schools and Ct lleges have
been hampered, because we have
neglected secondary education as
we'll as the rir- airy and element
cry, Now we must Develop both
grammar and high schools simrl-
taneously, so that tie links to the
normal schools and the colleges
will be properly welded and unit
3D."
Death of Mr.. 4. II. Burgess