Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-12-24
SAYS TOO
MUCHLOsT NOTION
In School Systems Today East
esn Normal Deans Views
Told In Louisville Paper

4 i u
DR.. A. L. Peterman, who writes
on educational topics in the Lou
isville Herald, paid quite a tribute
to the views of Dean E. C. Me
Dougle, of Eastern Kentucky
State Normal School, the other
day. 1t is we'll worth reproduc-
ing from an educational view
point. He wrote: tsi.
The whole Kentucky education-
al machine is undergoing a tight
ening up. All the authorities are
aware that it has been running IN
a wabbling way, and that it is too
late in the history of education to
continue this kind of gait. Dean
McDougle, of the Eastern Ken
lucky State Normal School.
Richmond, and Dean Kinnarnsn,
of the Western Normal. Bowliig
Green, have been here in confer
ence for several days working q1t
a plan for closer coordination Of
the work of the state normals
with that of the colleges.
AS Dean McDougle substantial
expresses it: There is too much
lost motion in our school system.
1t needs closer gearing, SO tH3t
every movement, every attain
ment, that the student makes in
the lower part of his education
may save a movement in the
higher; so that after teaching for
a time, if need be, he can enter
college and push forward as Ma
poleon said, without having to
backtrack in order to cover skip
per ground. +"
Here has been a serious over
sight in much of OUR normal
school work, not only in Kerituc-
ky, but also in most Of the other
states. The young man or the
young woman has taken "nor-
NAL course" which led nowhere
except to the schoolroom. It+has
counted for something, but for
far too little, in college course.
If inspired, ,after-a few years of
teaching, to try for a higher ed
ucation, he or she had virtually to
begin at the bottom again, doub-
ling over what had already been
learned in a way. In the matter
of time, experience and training
in the normal was practically D
dead loss.
Dean McDougle aptly and forc-
IDLY describes this result with the
phrase "lost notion The lack
of proper, close. coordination Of
the normal school with the col
legc has thus negatively cost the
state thousands of thoroughly ed
ucated men and women. After
spending year or two in the
normal to fit themselves forsa a
sort of success in the schoolroom,
the young man and the young
woman have felt that they couii
not afford to throw away thu
time and the training it gave,
even though superficial, in order
to get through college.
This loss, though negative, had
been sore one for the state.
One of Kentucky's gravest needs
is more educated men and wo-
men; yea, and more scholars,
too. Oh, no, the educated man
and the scholar are not usually
one, though they sometimes are
The scholar includes the edu-
Gated man as part, only as a
part. We must get over the i'm
preston that all educated men
are scholars; far from it--not one
in dozen of the educated is also
a scholar. ..
The two deans of the state
normals may feel that they have
wrought out such plan as will
carry the normal school gradu-
ate with credit up through the
year in college; When
leaving the state normal to teach
in the public schools, he and she
will know their scholastic where
abouts-that when they choose to
turn students again they will en-
ter college at the beginning Of
the junior year. This statement
takes no account of the work
that under favorable conditions
may be done, by the teacher-stu-
dent on the junior years work,
This co-ordination-ridding the
of "lost motion"-will in
many ways be strong stimulus
to higher education and even to
scholarship. In the first place, it
will inform the aspiring youth
just what is to be done in educa-
ton, and just how long it will
take. This will prove a valuable