Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-01-05
GAINS MADE BY
NORMAL SCHOOLS
Attendance Increase Is 25.5 Per
Cent Over Last Year.
STATE BOARD ISSUES REPORT
River Falls Institution Has Record,
Makes the Largest Advance In
Number OF Students Taking
High Graduate Course.

Madison. - The Wisconsin state
board of education issued a statement
showing that the total enrolment in
of the first quarter of the present
school year was 4,403, an increase OF
25.5 per cent over that of last year.
The increase in the enrolment at the
Whitewater school was 81 per cent,
the largest of any school.
The report, in part, follows:
In 1884 70.6 per cent of all the
students in normal schools were en-.
rolled in courses requiring high school
graduation. This year. 76.5 per cent
are enrolled in such courses. The
school showing the greatest improve
ment in this regard is River Falls,
where the percentage of students en-
rolled in high school graduate courses
has increased from 80 per cent to 81
per cent. II is interesting to note that
the entire increase in enrolment has
been in courses requiring high school
graduation The total number of stu.
dents in these courses has increased
from FATS to 1865, while the total in
courses not requiring high school
graduation has remained about the
same, being 1895 this year and 1881
two years ago. The largest course un-
der the head of courses not requiring
high school graduation is the first
three years of the five-year course.
This course is comparable to high
school work. II has decreased in this
period from COL 20 Asst. BY action of
the board of regents of normal schools
last September. no students will be ad-
mitted to this course after this year.
Students now enrolled in it will. how
ever, be allowed to continue.
In the training of rural schoolteach-
ers a remarkable advance has been
made. Two years ago there were 2S7
students being trained especially for
rural school work and these students
were enrolled in a course which did
not require high school graduation.
The enrolment in the same course
this year is 300. and in addition to
that, there are 155 enrolled in new
course which requires high school
graduation as a prerequisite. The to
tai number of students being trained
especially for rural school work is
therefore ass, an increase of So per
cent in numbers and great improve
ment in the educational requirements.
Students graduating from the high
school graduate rural course will re-
ceive the special state aid of SO per
month. provided by the last. legislature.
In addition to the students above mem
toned, there are, each year, number
of graduates from other normal school
courses who go out to teach rural
schools.
The normal school college course,
which corresponds to two years of uni
versity work, has increased from 231
to POI. or Is per cent. This is in spite
of the fact that during this period the
course was abolished in fo1r of the
normal schools. 1t Is now being Of
fered in the schools Of Lacrosse, MIL
waukee. Oshkosh and Superior. In the
schools located in smaller cities 1t has
been found that the course did not at
tract a sufficient number Of students
to make it profitable. The board of
normal regents has therefore abolished
this course in the schools of Platte
vile, River Falls, Stevens Point and
Whitewater in order to reduce the
cost of teachers.
The total enrolment in other special
departments requiring high school
graduation in most cases shows a
marked increase. Among these may
be mentioned agriculture, from SO to
1875; physical condition, from 10 to 81;
music, from nothing to 40; CONNER.
cial course, from q to 1874; domestic
science, from GA to 104.