The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-18


by some of these schools and in my
opinion. the time has come when the
boards of trustees. who control all these
institutions and who are the represen-
tatives of the people in authority
should meet their responsibility and so
far as possible require each school or
system of schools to fill its own sphere
without unnecessary infringement upon
the province of any other school or
system of schools.
The normal schools while apparently
for the most part in a healthy and
thriving condition should devote them
selves unremittingly and almost ex-
clusive1y to the training of teachers.
\ large number of boys and girls who
have no intention of being teachers
attend these normal schools merely be-
cause it is convenient or because
stronger faculties are employed-higher
priced men and women through the
larger appropriation which the four
class \ normal schools now receive as
compared with county high schools.
I do not believe the normal schools,
while receiving $4,000 each, are too
l do think this money ought to be ex-
PENDED for no purpose other than the
training of teachers. In fact the nor
NAL schools have no reason for exist
ence aside from preparing a more eff
cient and Il more abundant teaching
force for our public schools.
Preparing for College
When bOVS and girls finish the SOW
enth grade of our public school sys-
tenn, they ought to go to a county high
school or some institution of similar
rank if they desire to fit themselves
for college. and only those who know
they expect to be teachers ought to
be admitted in any one of the normal
schools. The entrance requirements,
moreover, of our normal schools ought
to be raised and made more definite.
The nine district agricultural schools
ought to offer an inviting opportunity
to young men whose academic train
ing has been meager but who really de-
sire to fit themselves for successful
farming. There ought to be a two
years course devoted overwhelmingly
to practical agriculture in all of it's
phases with just enough academic work
in English, arithmetic and history 10
be an important incident in their train
ing while they are really learning about
farming. The nine agricultural schools
could offer two years of advanced work
devoted largely to academic training
with agriculture as an incident to those
who are willing to pay the tuition
charges in these two upper grades
which would be composed mostly of
local pupils. The state appropriation
ought to be spent exclusively TO the
enlargement and to the broadening of
the agricultural courses which should
cover the first two years and it ought
to be considered a complete course in
elementary agriculture, developed in
such practical way as to bring hun
dreds and thousands of young men
from the farm to secure some part or
all of this two years course before re-
turning to spend their lives on the
farm.
Upon our public school system in
Guiding the grades from one to the
seventh must depend the overwhelming
percentage of our people. Only a small
pSiheHtdE VI girls anu boys go TO col
lege or to the universities. The num-
Der of such students as compared to
the whole number of educable children
is pitiably small Our public schools
should be directed toward fitting chill
dren for life more than for college.
The few who may find themselves able
or willing to pay the price in work
will find a way of going to college.
College entrance requirements is mat
ter which will take care of itself if
our public schools will devote them
selves unremittingly to taking care OF
the childrens interests in giving them
a more practical and a more vitalizing
connection with their home environ
ments and with the everyday duties
upon which they are to engage when
they leave the public schools.
School Terms Too Short
our public school terms are too short.
outside of the towns and cities they
will hardly average six months
throughout the state and even then tho
attendance is so irregular as to max o