The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-12-02
The WinOna Plan for
ParOChial Schools

Under the title of the "Winona
Plan," announcements were sent out
last spring by the Right Reverend
Patrick Richard Hebron to all the
parochial schools in the diocese of Wi
mona, outlining the proposed method
of bringing all the parochial elemen-
tary and high schools in the diocese up
to- high standard of uniform excel
lence. Emphasis was laid upon the
fact that the cause of Catholic educa-
ton at the present time, is the most
vital of Catholic interests. Into it's
service must be brought every agency
that can contribute anything of value
in making the Catholic schools thor
oughly efficient in the training given
in the secular branches of learning,
as we'll as in Catholic culture, morals
and religion. If the needs of the time
demand that men and women be ex-
pertly trained in mathematics and sci
ence, the Catholic cause will be fur
thered by providing this training ade-
quately, in the safe and beautiful en-
vironment of culture and religion that
is inseparable from the Catholic
school.
Purpose and Conditions Of Plan.
Every year, for one reason or anoth-
er, great numbers of Catholic students
enter non-C Catholic technical and pro-
fessional colleges. If they are admit
ted without condition" on the strength
of the known excellence of their high
school courses, the Catholic cause is
strengthened by just that prestige
which the standard high school course
has won. If on the other hand, stu
dents are Conditioned" owing to de-
ficiencies which by little effort could
be remedied, the cause Of Catholic edu-
cation suffers. Just as the graduates
of Catholic high schools pass yearly in
to non. Catholic colleges, so do gradu-
ates of Catholic elementary schools
pass up into the public high schools.
While the Catholic High School move.
ment is growing rapidly, yet there are
hundreds of communities in which
there is no Catholic high school. If the
Catholic elementary schools are so
thorough in their teaching of the. secu-
lar branches, that Catholic pupils may
enter the public high school without
condition or without examination, one
rarely finds in these communities a
single Catholic child in the public ele-
mentary schools. Best of all, every
Catholic elementary school child is re-
ceiving his training in the priceless
heritage of his faith, while studying
to excellent advantage the rudiments
of general education.
The Winona Plan proposes the fol-
lowing conditions: Q) Certification
of teachers in elementary and high
schools. (2) General uniformity of
content in the subjects within the cur
ricula. '(3) General uniformity in
methods of instruction. (4) General
uniformity in the keeping of school
records. 81 General uniformity of
textbooks as far as may be feasible
or advisable.
It happens that in Minnesota the rul-
ings of the State Department Of Educa.
ton with reference to the standardiza-
ton of schools are definite, compre-
hensive, judicious and sane. The rul.
ings cover % training Of teachers;
(2) courses of study; (3) school build
ings and az equipment. The Winona
Plan for Parochial Schools proposed
to take the rulings of the State De-
partment and adapt them as far as ad-
visable to the parochial schools of the
diocese.
Training Of Teachers.
With reference to the training Of
teachers the state requires for ele-
mentary school teachers high school
course supplemented by two years Of