Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-02-21
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY q, 1918
A NORMAL SCHOOL FOR NORTH
DAKOTA At DICKINSON.

DAKOTA AT DICKINSON.
The demand for teachers of charac-
Ter, scholarship, culture. teaching abil-
ity, and professional spirit is greater
today than ever before in this state.
The supply is exceedingly snail. The
most vital factor of the school is the
teacher. That professional training
will add greatly to his proficiency is
now universally conceded. The OK,
tension OF our system Of state Nor.
nal schools until they are within the
reach OF all the teachers Is a demo-
cratic measure, increasing the eff.
cheney of the city, village and rural
schools. Too long have teachers Sc.
cured their training at the expense
and best interests Of our public
schools. Having provided all other
school facilities and forced the chill
dren to 60 to school, is the state in
the exercise of its supreme sover.
eighty to stop short Of reasonable eff.
cheney in the teaching force? The
answer OF Germany and France and
England and Canada, and almost ev.
cry safe Of this great Union is that it
is the duty Of the state to undertake
for it's own protection and encour.
age whenever possible by every agen-
cy in reach the work of securing the
better qualification of teachers. In
deed. it is common Judgment and the
settled policy of the greatest enlight-
ened nations Of the earth, and as such
1t is beyond experimentation, dispute.
or cavil. 1t Is the common custom to
look primarily to organized and rec
ognized institutions OF learning for
the work Of fitting and qualifying the
teachers for their positions in the
public school system. All other agen-
cies, valuable as they may be. and
scrviceabic as they have been, are in
the common mind Of Europe and Am.
erica not to be compared to the or
ganized institutions Of learning, the
Normal schools, with their faculties.
their model schools, their libraries.
their laboratories, and specially devils
ed courses of professional instruction.
They, beyond all else, are the approx.
ed agencies for making ready the
teaching force of the world.
Concerning the establishment of a
Normal school for the southwestern
part of the state there is much to be
said Such an arrangement would
give North Dakota four Normal
school schools, one in each quarter
of the state. The southwestern part
Of the state insists on the establish
men of this school. 1t is but a mat
ter of justice and fair play. A few
reasons follow why a Normal school
should be located at Dickinson as
soc as possible.
l A primary purpose Of a Normal
school at Dickinson would be the
training of teachers for rural schools.
The solution Of the rural problem lies
in lettering country school condi.
tons. The best way of improving
country school conditions is to have
teachers who have been trained in
teachers training schools.
2. The area of the southwestern
part Of the state west OF the Nilsson
ri river is $4,000 square miles, just
.one-fourth the area Of the state. The
population is 100000, and is growing
rapidly.
s.. This part of the state is paying
$500,0oO a year for teaching service.
Is it not the part OF wisdom to have
this teaching service of the best quail
ity possible?
4. A Normal school is a center of
educational influence. This influence
radiates in all directions and varies
.inversely as the square Of the dis
lance from the center. Since the OPP
ening Of the first Normal school very
little OF this influence has been felt
in this part Of the state.
5. The distance from Dickinson to
City is $50 miles; to Fargo,
800 miles; to Grand Forks, Ss7 miles.
The average distance Of the slope to
the nearest Normal school is 40
miles. Is it fair to ask the teachers