St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-06-19
OPELOUSAS AND STATE
NORMAL SCHOOL.
superintendent Thompson SheWsH0E Proposed
Tax VIII Better Chances Of GetlIBg II.
PRACTICE SCHOOL NECESSARY
TO Teach Tepchers How 10 Teach..HOW Can
OpeIOusas Expect Normal II she Does Not
show Proper Educational Spirit?

Editor Clarion-In last weeks COM
m~unication, | touched upon the ques-
tion Of the establishment of a State
Normal Calloge at this place, and
urged that the agitation of the ques-
ton at this particular time should
not operate as a deterrent to casting
ones vote in favor of the local tax to
come up for determination on next
Tuesday. I argued that there was
the least probability Of the States
Normal School for some time to come,
giving various reasons for the support
Of the position assumed by me. I
will endeaYor, in the instant COM
munication, TO tell why, if the State
at any time in the future should de-
termine to establish another State
Normal School, it would be we'll to
vote the tax proposed at present,
and erect from its proceeds q fine
modern school building, complete in
all of it's appointments, and adequate
in size to meet the educational needs
of this community for years to come.
Wherever a Normal School of any
pretentions is established, it is neces-
sary to have a Practice or Model
School attached to it. By. that is
meant, that in order to teach teachers
how to teach, they must have sub
iects to practice on. These subjects
are the children, generally, who live
in the neighborhood Of the Normal
School. The public school system in
that particular location is made, gem
orally by agreement with the local
school authorities, part of the Nor
NAL School, and the teachers who
preside over this model school are a
part of the faculty Of the Normal
School. Now, if, as | said, the State
should determine to build the school,
would not 0pelousas, with these good
and commodious appointments, have
some advantage in being able to say
to the State that we, in addition to
to the other inducements, which we
have to offer for the location of d
State Normal here, will give you our
fine public school building for your
Model School? Would not this kind
of a proposition exert much influence,
as much, perhaps as large amount Of
money proffered for that purpose?
Because it would show that The pro-
per educational spirit was here, that
these people were in earnest, and
that they could be relied on to exert
themselves. in any reasonable way,
for the success Of the enterprise
which they ask to have located with
them. Another reason why the
question Of making our High School
complete, complying in all it's details
with the States requirements, is that
the Normal Schools and Colleges are
dependent on the high schools for the
preliminary preparation of the child
so as TO fit him for entrance to these
higher institutions of learning. Nor
NAL Schools do not take into normal
departments people who have had no
previous opportunities TO be educated:
pupil who enter such schools with a
view Of following the course there,
and Of being taught how to teach,
must have had already a certain
amount Of technical and academic
training, and these qualifications are
required Of the applicants. A stan
dard for entrance is established and
the applicant is expected TO measure
up TO it. Hence we see, that viewed
from all of its aspects, q good high
school is essential to the educational
development of any place; that it is
the college to which the poor mans
children are sent TO acquire their
education, and fit them for the Ordin-
airy yocations Of life; that it IS the
adjunct Of the higher institutions Of
learning and the means by which they
are supplied yearly with the material
for their continuance, and that the
community, centrally and accessibly
located, which owns a first class high
school, stands q better chance to
have a State Normal School located
in its midst than one which does not
own one.
Yours truly,