The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-12-06
NORMAL HEA6S4NAKF
REPORT TO THE BOARD

st. Paul, December 2.-RecOgniz
ing that there is considerable OPP
position to their cherished plan O
developing the normal schools into
colleges with authority to grant de
grees, the five presidents of Min
nesota normal schools Issued state
ment depioring this opposition. bn
requesting permission from the nor
NAL board to prepare a four year
course of study beyond, the higf
school and to make such changes as
might harmonic the relations be
tween their, schools and the other
institutions of learning. The state
ment, signed by Presidents c.. H
Cooper, Mankato; F.. w. Bohannon
Duluth; C. f. Maxwell, Winona;
Frank A. Weld, Moorhead, and w. a
Shoemaker, ST. Cloud, Saturday was
approved by the state normal board
in session at the state capitol
THE interests of elementary edu
cation in Minnesota demand that
the normal board shall maintain its
announced policy in regard to the
development of the work of the
normal schools through the extern
sion of the standard course of study
and through the development oil
courses in the field of special ed
ucation," the statement said.
Function Of the Normal.
while the presidents believe that
the primary function of the normal
schools must ever be to render the
greatest service possible to the com
mon school interest of the state
they recognize, in the opposition to
the proposed legislative measure, d
practical problem of such uncertain
solution as to cause them to hest.
tate to recommend, at this time
further activity in the effort to Sc
cure law necessary to make the
proposed extended course of study
attractive to students, inasmuch as
such activity might jeopardize the
service which the schools are now
rendering to the state
"The development of elementary
and special education in the state
through the medium of the normal
schools, should receive continued at
tention, and, with this end in view
the presidents request authority from
the normal board to prepare a course
of study covering period of four
years beyond the high school, and
to make such changes in the present
course of study as shall more near.
ly harmonic the relations between
the normal schools and other insti.
tutions of learning. -.. 49,.
Opposition is Regretted.
"The opposition by representa-.
tives of other, educational institu
tons Of the. state to an effort on
the part of the normal schools to
develop. their work. in their special
field is, to be regretted"
Somewhat related to this matter
was a paper by Charles H. Cooper
president. of :, the Mankato school
urging, that no pupils be enrolled in
the. normal schools without having
passed the second year in state
high school This will cut down
the normal school course from six
years to four years, as these insti
tutions now admit pupils from the
eighth grade and carry them through
a high school course of four years
and a. teachers training course of
two years. 49,,
j. L. Washburn, a member of the
board from Duluth, approved the
suggestion. The. board took no &C.
ton on account Of stress of other
business, but the matter will be
considered at a later meeting.
Budget Is Some Lower.
A budget calling the expenditure
of $S53,340 for the biennial period
of 1914-15 was approved by the
board. This is lower by $4,000 than
the appropriation for 1928, but
the saving is in the item of new
buildings and not in maintenance.
While the board did not include the
items in its budget, it adopted a
resolution reminding the Legislature
that a model school at Winona to
cost $4,000 and a science building
at Moorhead B. to cost 100000 could
be used to advantage.
The board gave it's approval to
bills abolishing the maximum salary
for normal school presidents, now
fixed at $4,000, and abolshing stand
ing appropriations.
Following are the estimates for
support and betterments for the five
state high schools for the coming
biennial period:
WINONA.