Year: 1869

CUR Normal school.
Nebraska has a State Normal School
organized and in operation.


It has beeomea part Of the history
Of the State, she has registered her
name in the national archives as 3
believer in, and q supporter Of Nor
NAL Schools.


The question is now before us shall
We make it a success ,sor shall we take
back what has already been done In
this direction and say to the world
we cannot affordto educate our teach
ers2 EyefytliBg depends on the ac-
tion Four Legislature ia this impor-
tapt matter.


Tt is therefore wen for us to look at
this subject fairly.


In the arss place we need a good
consistent school law that win provide
for State. and County superintend-
sDts. Theb we nce provisions that
will secure to each district a comfort
able school house and competent
teacher.


Now we think it is comparatively
an easy task to give us a State and
County Superintendent, to provide
means to defray the expenses of bull
ding sehoOl-houses and paying teach
ers, but how to place a competent
teacher in every school is a difficulty
we fear will not be so easily accom-
plished.


We think no intelligent observing
man will deny that very much Of the
money now paid for teaching is al
most as good as thrown away. Visit
our schools and astonishment win
seize US that the children learn any
thing at all in many of them.


True a State Superintendent may do
much in enlightening the people as to
the great waste of money annually
made in paying incompetent teachers
but he cannot place better ones in their
stead unless some plan is devised for
procuring them from other States or
educating them at home.


Now the State has conceded the i'm
portance of preparing teachers at home
and to aid this noble enterprise has
founded a Normal School at Peru.


The people there had enclosed a
large building and being unable to
properly finish itand furnish it, offered
it to the State for a Normal School
building.


This was a generous offer and a no
BILE gift for a community and we can
say heartily 1CeH done for the citizens
of Peru; but the bare brick walls of a
three story building S0x4O without
floors and with Ieaky roof was a very
poor place to teach school in.


The State appropriated $1,000 for
completing the building. This was
expended about as follows, 800 for
repairs on roof; floors, $500; castings,
stairs, base-boards and doors, 5000 (;
lathing and plastering, $1,000. (The
chapel, with four other rooms, are all
that are finished; the rest of the
rooms are only first-coated on the lath,
while the halls have no plaster on
them except the eupper one over head. }
Plastering, desks, stoves and appara-
tus, $500; making the $4,000 expended
as judiciOusly as any set Of men could
eXpend the same money on the build
ing, and yet it is in sad condition.


The roof leaks very badly, and will
only be repaired by being replaced by
new one; and a cupalO should be
built for bell, and to give the build
ing n respectable appearance, it will
cost nearly $1,000 to finish the inside
of the building, and at at least $500
more to seat and furnish it properly.


A Library and apparatus are indis-
pensable.


The grounds must be fenced and
out-hOuses built.


All these things, together with
teachers salaries, will need at the very
least calculation, $4,000
Then after that is done, the school
can be made free to all teachers if
provision is made for the salary of
those engaged in teaching.
Three teachers must be employed
to make the school a success, but these
can teach a hundred students in ad-
dition to those who enter the Normal
! department.


Therefore, to make the school a sue
cess and give free instruction to
teachers, we need $4,000 from some
source to put the building and ground
in a good condition, and furnish a IL
brary and apparatus; and in addition
to this, we need a yearly income from
some source to provide for the current
expenses Of the school.


J. NJ. MCKENZIE.