The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-16
RADICAL CHANGES
. IN NORMAL SCHOOL
. SYSTEM ARE URGED
Complete Reorganization of
System Recommended in
Report to Be Sum-
mitted Legislature

Montgomery. December l5.--eSpe-
cial. )-Complete reorganization OF the
normal school system of the state is
recommended by the state normal
school board in report which win
be submitted to the legislature in. ia nn-
arr sri TsEassaiessll, e.sads-%osls ~ AZ T.
bama. The report was approved at a
meeting of the. normal school board
at the capitol today.
The board report is voIuminous
document, embracing every phase OF
normal school work in the state, and
setting out in detail what progress has
been made since the creation OF the
board four years ago. The feature of
the report is a series of resolutions re-
lating to normal school working in
the state. The boards latest resolu-
tion was adopted at the meeting to-
day This resolution. along with 9TH
ers, was made part of the report and
contemplates several drastic changes in
normal school education
In brief, the resolution specifies that
at the beginning OF next session no
person who does not expect to teach
shall be admitted to any normal school
that none OF the normal schools shall
be allowed to offer either special on
regular courses in Instrumental music,
French or German. and that all nor
NAL schools, without exception, shall
be open to both male and female stu
dents.
Radical Changes
Other radical changes are contem-
plated one of which is that the state
shall be divided into as many districts
as there are normal schools, and that
each normal school shall restrict its
active campaign for students to the
district in which it Is located The
recommendations of the board contem-
plate making the normal school insti-
tutions solely for the training of
teachers. uniform course Of study,
and with the same entrance reuuire-
ments.
The meeting of the board was held
today In the governors office. and all
the members were present with the
exception Ol L. II. IL ' Ills Va III ftGHSftVfV.
Those present. in addition to the gov
ernor, were superintendent Of Educa-
tion William r. Feagin, w. w. Laven-
der. Of Centerville,, John b. Weaklcy Of
Birmingham, r.. L. Glenn OF Florence,
w. r. Sheehan of - Montgomery and
Charles S. McDowell.of Eufaula.
Following is the boards report:
To the Legislature of the State OF Ala
bama:
In compliance with section of the act
creating a board of trustees for the gov
ernment and control of the several state
normal schools for whites, We. the ap-
poiftive members of this board, beg leave
to submit the following report Of our
labors, and of the conditions, activities
and needs Of these schools.
At the beginning of their labors the
board found a most serious task confront-
ing. them. The white normal schools
of which there were six, had been estab-
lished at various times during the past
40 years, ostensibly as teacher training
schools. but really as institutions of sec
ondary grade in which all who entered
might receive Instruction regardless OF
whether or not they wished to prepare
themselves for teaching. The almost COM
plcte lack of tax-supported high schools
rendered it impossible for these normal
schools to train teachers without at the
! same time giving separate courses along
/ purely academic lines for the benefit
| those who were making preparation for
| law, medicine. dentistry, business life
or college As normal school, no more
| than a man, can serve two masters, the
| teacher training ideal was largely lost
| sight Of and the academic or the purely
i cultural ideal stressed. As result sthe
normal schools. or colleges" as some OF
| them were termed. we're normal schools
Only in name. Practically all OF them
served az high, schools for the towns In
hich they we're located and also for this
surrounding SECTIONS
This state Of affairs was due not tt
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