The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-07-21
NORMAL SCHOOL
PLANS SUCCEED
THE PLANS INAUeURATED I'm
LOCAL SCHOOL BY DR.. BEN.
NETT SUCCESSFUL IN
OTHER SCHOOLS.

.
= 1900
ine innovation that Dr. c. J. c. Ben
nett has inaugurated in the Fairmont
Normal School IN trying to make II
what It's name impliesia a real normal
school where teachers may be In
structed and trained for the work thai
Is before them and not be normal
school and a high school at the same
time, IS proved to be successful by d
Pennsylyania school. DR.. Bennett
took the stand and fought the princi
pie out that the academic and college
preparatory course should be aban
aoned. He claimed that the school
would 90 better work and grow strong
or in every way, The same thing has
been In operation at California, Pa
The California school has made the
change allowing none but professional
Students 70 enroll,
The change at California was looked
upon tat It's inception, even by some Of
the most progressive educators Of
Pennsylyania, as Of rather doubtful
propriety has Just had most salts.
factory test at the Southwestern State
Normal School at California, Pa. This
change, which many persons really
believed to be nothing short of dar-
ing and perhaps dangerous Innovation,
was the placing Of the institution
upon purely professionally basis, in
stead oflhaying It remain, as 1t had al
ways been. and as the other State nor
NAL schools still are, sort OF high
class academy or secondary school,
as we'll as q normal school.
Two years ago the late DR.. Theo-
doredore D. Moss, principal OF the
school for 26 years, made the startling
announcement that henceforth the
California; institution would admit none
but purely professional students, or
those actually preparing to teach.
This cut out the academical or col
lege preparatory departments, which,
he thought, the high schools should
take care of, All sorts Of dismal fore
bodings We're heard, and "a great fall.
Ing on In attendance was predicted.
Yet the first session under the now
rule. opened with $40 bona fide nor
NAL students. and the year closed with
q record OF COZ different names during
the various sessions. The first year
4 vas not considered a conclusive test,
30 the year now Just ended was look
ed forward to as the final and real
test. 1t showed an enrolment of go,
With 1872 In the graduating class as
passed by the State board of examin-
ers few days ago. 1nis is the larg-
est class In the schools history.
Simply to Train Teachers.
Our school will be-" said DR.. Moss
In announcing the innovation, "sim-
ply a professional school for the
training, Of teachers, instead Of what
II has been, an institution for teach
Ing almost anybody almost anything.
Certainly the time has come when our
State normal schools should become
In fact what they are in name-noi.
NAL schools, having but one function
Iand that a supremelyJ important one,
the training Of teachers, and State
schools. owned and controlled by the
State. The day for,teachfng anything
and everything in normal school is
past. We now have state-aidcd high
schools to do preparatory work and
they will be strengthened by having
this work to do. The expense, both
70 parents and to tho State, is much
less for preparatory work done in
high schools than for such work in
the normal school. Why should the
State organize a system of hlgn
schools and a system of normal
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