The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1921-01-27

4. the normal school would not and
should not become an "allround" col
lege. Which courses it should give
would be decided by the composition
Of the faculty. One normal school may
be strong in natural sciences. It would
seem that the three courses offered in
Il the Norwegian gymnasium could be
j profitably followed: the natural-sci-
entific course, the language.history
course, the classic course, with adap-
tations to preserve the teacher train
ing aim. And yet, it would do no
harm, on the contrary prove beneficial:
! to have some students preparing for
! law, medicine, etc., without obligation
on their part to study methodologies
and reviews.
A Weakness in Higher Education
i The trouble with many of our col
leges today is this: They have as
pired to be universities, they have cop
4 pied the English system, making the
college the zenith institution Of educa-
ton. And yet, the copying has been
80 imperfect that the average Ameri-
can B. A. lacks three years of being
! equal to the Oxford B. A. For some
inexplicable reason our colleges have
built German post graduate depart
] ment on top Of the collegiate, and call
| ed the entire confusion university"
i It is amusing to see the freshly grad
uated product of the college depart
ment of university" parade as a
1 university graduate" while he, at
4 most, is not more than the equal of a
German "primaner." As secretary of
the American Students Association at
Leipzig, 1902-1903, heard discussed
7 at one meeting the German gymnas-
4 ium as compared with the American
! college. More than sixty college grad
yates from different American col
leges and universities were present.
! The German gymnasium was given
| the majority,vote Of being better than.
our college, a surprise to those who
| have read in books that the German
gymnasium, and, with that, the Nor
Wegian, the Swedish, the Danish, and
the Finnish are only about as good as
our high school. The salvation of the
American college will depend on it's
becoming a college proper, and of
the American university in being turn
continent of Europe.
AHlOuS GIC SOllCSCo PAVPSAS AOAAAAnA
schools should hold an important
place. They should be teachers col
leges, at least be accorded the recog-
milton given to independent, denomi-
national colleges.
Our schools of education in the uni.
versities should do strictly post-gradu-
ate work in Education, where they are
capable of doing it. :.
The conversion of the normal school
into teacher college would naturally
be combated by schools of education,
which might go so far as to preach the
dietum Of the Iowa Survey Commits
sion, which advised that normal
schools give up all non-professional
courses, abolish all but vocational
courses. However this advice is spon-
sored by host of independent col
leges, in which Iowa abounds, rather
than strong university.
Better advice is given by Professor
Ernest C. Moore, formerly president
of the state normal school at Los
Angeles, now director Of the southern
branch Of the University of California;
"Our own conviction is that the nor
NAL school is disappearing member
Of the educational organizations;
that the normal schools must be con-
verted into teachers colleges or be-
come parts Of the universities already.
in existence"
The latter recommendation is that
of the Carnegie Survey of the normal
schools of Missouri. This survey con-
tends that the normal schools should
remain where they are, but become
integral department. of the state uni
versity system.
College Subjects in Normal Schools
Some normal schools. have tried the
experiment of eliminating college sub
jects. 1t has had the effect of an am
putation of sound limbs. Very prop
erly says the book "Self Surveys by
Teachers Training Schools" by Allen
and Pearse: 1T has not been proved
that eliminating college courses. e.
college students from normal schools
will do as much to raise the standard
of instruction in the normal and other
public schools as will the retention Of
college courses and Of students plan
ming to take four year course" It
wisely continues: t'No dangers have
ever yet been pointed out in the col
lege courses as found in normal
schools which are not attributable to
administrative breakdown and which
cannot be corrected by administrative
steps. The president is there; the
buildings are there; there are regents
and a state department Of instruction;
there is no justification for giving up
the advantages that would flow from
college work available in several diff
ferent parts of the state until after
thorough effort has been made to sep-
arate abuse from use, and to correct
abuse"
This trend of thought receives sup
port in the Carnegie Survey of nor
NAL schools in Missouri: Says this
most fascinating survey: "Longer to
maintain the distinction between the
university and the normal school as
representing a Distinguishing differ
ence in grade or quality of instruction
is, in the cases of best normal schools
in this country, purely Fictitious, and
it's eradication would be the best pos
sible reason for requiring of inferior
schools a. genuine enforcement OF
standards to which most of them now
profess their adherence. In the num-
nrnrS An1erican normal schools now