Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-04-28

Following up the resolution which
was presented in the legislature Sat
urday by the teachers OF the city de
nouncing the report OF the joint CON-
mIttee of the legislature on school
conditions in the territory, the
students of the Normal School are
voicing their protest against the re-
Port through the medium of personal
letters to Hon. A. Knhdsen, president
OF the senate.
The following letter, written by
Edith ID. Keola, member Of the SEN
Tor class, has been sent to President
Knudsen: ~.
Excitement prevails within the four
walls of the T. n. s. and justly so.
for the closing of the school will mark
crisis in the career of many of its
inmates. There is, perhaps, no one
who realizes the value of the training
afforded by the Normal School more
than j. '..
/ entered the Normal School IN Sep
TENDER, 1912, fully convinced of my
powers and abilities. But, alas, had
not been in school week when /
felt like beginning school all over
again. discovered my utter defici-
ency in the line had chosen for my
life work. But, with modesty, / had
graduated from Punahou with honors;
and here was feeling as one stand
ing on the. deck of a gradually sink
ing ship Not that the subject matter
was difficult or new But rather that
] did not know how to plan my work
to the best advantage. / had not
acquired that most valuable quality
self-control. In few months. how
ever, these deficiencies were remedied.
How? you may ask.
By actual experience. BY teaching
in the grades under the excellent
supervision of model training teach
ers Seneca has said, I'VE learn by
teaching" How true this is! / have
acquired more practical knowledge in
the few months l have been in the
Normal School than in the three years
IN Punahou. l count myself fortunate
indeed in having received such excel
lent training.
You may say that the present
course of study followed out in the
Normal School does give one suffici-
ent academic knowledge. But after
all, for teachers training for primary
work, is textbook knowledge all that
is required? Some of our best cadets
are students who are not by any
means the brightest of the class.
Again some say that we are wasting
time by teaching nature study and
drawing. Shall we of the Goth century
go back to the system used in the
past centuries and teach merely the
three RS. Our present system is
strictly in accordance with that used
in the United States 1t does not in
the least undermine the importance of
the three RS but it also adds the
knowledge and appreciation of nature.
/ am not alone in my opinions.
/ voice the sentiment of each and
every normal cadet Therefore, we
shall greatly regret should the school
which has given us such excellent
training and has made us efficient
teachers be discontinued. / entreat a
higher power to guide you to decide
for the maintenance of our school.
Another. written by Miss Dorothy
Mitchell also member of the senior
class, reads as follows:
/, the undersigned. am senior in
the Territorial Normal and Training
School, and hereby express great in.
terest in the subject now under dis
cussion in the legislature of Hawaii,
in regard to the question of whether
or not the Territorial Normal and
Training School should be diseontin.
ued in the near future.
l entered the eighth grade in the
T. N. T. s. and for four years have