The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-02-02
EVERY CIR ADUATE
OF THE NORAIxdLS
COSTS STATE Sl,IOO

0SSAAA
district divisions:
LIST. Common schools-1st to sth
grades;
End. High schools-sth tc 18th
grades;
3rd. Institutions Of higher educa-
ton including professional depart
ments.
The first two division are support
ed by taxation of local districts, aid
ed by the state fus4ds arising from
public lands. The third class is rep
resented by the statf University at
Vermillion, the state College at
Brookings and the School of Mines
at Rapid City. These institutions
are wholly supported by state appro-
priation, the income from endow-
ment lands and from Federal aid tol
the College at Brookings.
About $3.50 of the girls and boys
attending school are found in .hel
common schools (first. eight grades.
To meet the wants of this great num-
ber, in providing drilled teachers, the
/ normal schools were founded, not to,
compete in or occupy the fields espe-
cially set apart as the function of
| high schools and colleges. There are
no schools in the state, excepting the
normals, set apart forsthis work.
Comparison is frequently made of
our normal schools with similar
schools in other states as to courses
of study. In many of E1e states, ap-
preparation of large sums of money
is made to assist high schools, and
county training schools. In the state
4 OF Minnesota, direct appropriations
are made to assist high schools from
state funds. In the state of Wilson,
sin, county training schools are es-
;tablished for teachers. In other
}, states, the high schools have become
so firmly established and so numer-
i, Gus that in conjunction with county
teachers institutes, teachers for low
er grades are fitted from the high
school Such difference must neces-
sarly be taken into account when
considering comparisons
The charge is made against the
: normal schools:
That much of the woYR and expen-
ditures is directed toward three OBJ
jects not intended by law and not de-
manded by the needs of the state.
list. Preparing young men and
women for college.
End Affording a general high
school course for the locality where
the schools are located without ref
erence to normal work.
4 3rd. Offering two years of regu-
lar college work.
In addition these contentious, tax
payers complain that the state is dis
eliminating in favoring the few To-
calities by supporting we'll equipped
high schools, while in the various
parts of the state similar schools are
J supported by local taxation.
!, The county superintendent of
, schools complain that the normals
are not sufficiently aiding the rural
schools. The friends of high schools
allege that the Normals cripple their
work by competition under state aid.
) The colleges insist that an atempt to
, build schools of collegiate grade in
various parts of the state, will de-
stroy the prospect of higher institu-
tions becoming worthy the name. 1t
is maintained that the funds to sup
port these higher schools are now
too limited and the students too few
: Reports of these institutions made
in December, 1910, disclose inter
esting facts in connection with this
discussion.
u These schools have in general
, similar courses of study varying ir
, some details. These are designated
! as English, German and Latin, Col
lege Preparatory, Industrial Com
! mercial and Academic. Each schoo
v maintains model or training schoo
consisting of pupils mostly from the
I cities in which the schools are locat
I ed. At Springfield there is an excep
I ton. Two years ago, Springfield
? school board permitted the norma
to use the city graded school as 6
training school, the state meeting 9
, portion of the expense of teachers
The other three schools maintain the
training school wholly at state ex
!. pense, in providing buildings
e equipment and teachers. This train
o ing school consists of the first eigh'
grades of public school work. The
pupils number from 14O to 160 il
: each normal. While the model schoo
r is used as an exercise for teaching
!. it also relieves the local schoo
r board of the expense of providing fol
: the pupils in the graded schools.
d The courses of study in the nor
n mails provide for three general line