USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > A History of the Courses of Study in the State Normal Schools of Pennsylvania > Part 6
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Thanks were tendered to the secretary for ser- vices rendered. Dr. Schaeffer appointed Drs. Eck- els, Welsh, and Bible as Committee on Programme for 1899.
Convention then adjourned sine die.
NATHAN C. SCHAEFFER, President.
ALBERT E. MALTBY, Secretary.
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Changes in the Normal Course DR. J. R. FLICKINGER
The two subjects assigned me on the pro- gramme can be covered by the above title. "Changes in the Course of Study" and "Extending the Ele- mentary Course," are, for all practical purposes, identical. For a number of years, I have felt the weakness of the Elementary Course of Study and I am not alone in this. Several years ago, I prepared a paper on the subject of "Normal Schools" in which I advocated an extension of the course. The paper was published at length in the Pennsylvania School Journal, and it elicited a number of com- munications from prominent school men. Among them was a lengthy letter from Dr. Edward Brooks of Philadelphia, who made some very significant remarks concerning the widening of the course. He agreed with me in every particular, and even urged more radical changes than I advocated. Enough was said at that time by leading educators and enough been said since in the hearing of most of us, to warrant us, as Normal School principals, in giv- ing the subject due consideration. With the ad- vance that has been made in the curricula of the high schools and in the content of the proposed course of study for our township high schools, it must be apparent to thinking teachers and thinking patrons that the scholastic side of our Elementary Course is deficient.
Another argument has also been heard that
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has some weight, although it is rather incidental than leading. It has been asked why our course does not cover enough to admit . our graduates to the freshman class of the colleges. In other words, why should Normal School graduates be compelled to supplement their course with some additional Latin and a Modern Language in order to enter col- lege ? Of course, we as Normal School people us- ually answer, and it seems to me somewhat flip- pantly, that we are not preparatory schools for col- leges. This is true, but Normal School graduates, like graduates of all other institutions, do not al- ways know their own minds and often want to change their life work. They certainly have a right to do so and circumstances over which they have no control frequently compel them to do it. This is a condition and not a theory, hence as progressive school men, as honest, conscientious educators, it is our business to meet it. Why not extend our course in Latin so as to include more Caesar, to which may be added Vergil and Cicero ? It seems to me that it is our duty to do this, not only from the point of view of preparation for college, but in order to give our graduates sufficient Latin to teach with some emphasis what may be required in the average town and country high school. The min- imum Latin of the Elementary Course is a mere burlesque and in the eyes of the public it is so con- sidered. We are justly criticised for its meagreness and we are open to ridicule for giving a certificate to our graduates in which Latin is indicated as a study which they are capable of teaching. We have all heard the jeers of the college graduate and have doubtless felt the humiliation. At least our gradu-
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ates are apt to find such ridicule an obstacle to their election as high school principals. We ought, also, to give a year of German or some other mod- ern language. With these language additions to our course, two ends would be accomplished : First ; our graduates could then enter without further study the classical course of our better colleges and would be especially strong for the scientific course in our very best universities. Second ; if thus equipped, the graduates of the State Normal Schools could successfully compete with the graduates of colleges for high school principalships.
The foregoing has been written on the assump- tion that our Normal Schools are to continue to do academic work. Let us now shift the point and look at the Normal Schools as professional schools which we so often exuberantly call them ; at the same time reserving to ourselves the right of de- fining a professional school. Have we reached the point in their history when we can make them pro- fessional schools, pure and simple ? Can we relegate the academic work to the high schools ? Will there be enough students to support us if we do so? Or must we confess to ourselves that our Pennsylvania system is unique, and so much unlike the school systems of other states that we connot adopt their matured methods ? I admit that at this point we do confront a serious problem, and just why it should be more serious in Pennsylvania than in Massachu- setts and New York, I am not prepared to say. Massachusetts has nine Normal Schools. She has a population of about two millions and a quarter, which would give her a school population of about four hundred fifty thousand. How much
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of this school population is in cities and towns, I have no means of knowing, but as the town system had its origin and is more highly developed in Massachusetts than in any other state, we may assume that she has more high schools in propor- tion to her population than we have, and on that account she might have more well qualified can- didates for the Normal Schools than we have in Pennsylvania. Be the fact what it may, Massachu- setts has made her nine Normal Schools to all in- tents and purposes professional training schools for the public school teachers' of the state. These schools are also fairly well patronized. In the Massachusetts system, all candidates for admission to any one of the Normal Schools must have at- tained the age of seventeen years complete if young men, and sixteen years, if young women. They must present certificates of moral standing, give evidence of good intellectual capacity, and be graduates of high schools whose courses of study have been ap- proved by the Board of Education, or they must have received the equivalent of a good high school education. Examination for admission covers such elementary and high school subjects as may be determined by the Board of Education. The requirements for entrance are supposed to cover five groups of work, namely,
I. Languages.
(a) English, withits Grammar and Liter-
ature.
(b) One of the three languages, Latin, French, and German.
2. Mathematics.
(a) Arithmetic.
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(b) Elements of Algebra.
(c) Elements of Plane Geometry.
3. History and Geography.
(a) The History and Civil Government of Massachusetts and the United States with re- lated Geography; and so much of English History as is directly contributory to a knowledge of United States History.
4. Sciences.
(a) Physical Geography.
(b) Physiology and Hygiene.
(c) Physics.
(d) Botany.
(e) Chemistry.
5. Drawing and Music.
(a) Elementary, mechanical and free- hand Drawing, with any one of the topics,-form, color, and arrangement.
(b) Musical Notation.
As explanatory of the foregoing requirements, their course in English provides for about the same that we give our students in Junior and Senior years. In Mathematics, about what we give our students upon graduation. The same may be said of the other groups with the exception of Physics and Chemistry, which is probably a little broader. The course in Latin, or French, or German would cover what is required for entrance to the freshman class in a New England college. That is to say, at least three years of Latin, and two years of either French or German. It will be observed that they thus relegate all of this academic work to the high schools. The work done in the Normal Schools for what is called the two years' course of
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study includes no academic work except as the study of Psychology and History of Education and School Laws is such. The full two years is taken up in the study of the methods of teaching English, Mathematics, Science, and. Drawing, and with ob- servation and practice in the training schools, and observation in other schools.
So far we have been speaking wholly of what they call the general two years' course of study, graduates of which are not expected to aspire to teach in High Schools ; only in those that are below that grade. It should be noted that graduates of colleges and universities and high schools of high grade and standing may, with the consent of the principal and of the Board of Visitors, select from the curriculum of the general two years' course, a course which may be completed in one year. This is evidently a concession to the college graduate.
The Massachusetts Normal Schools have also a four years' course, admission to which requires a four years' college course. Graduates in this Nor- . mal school course have all of the studies of the two years' course and in addition, they study Math- ematics, Science, Languages, and History in addi- tion to the professional work. In other words, the four years' course which is intended for teachers of public schools above the grammar grade combines academic and professional work, just as we do in this State. As a matter of information, it may be stated that tuition is free to all who declare their intention to teach in the public schools of Massa- chusetts. Text-books and supplies are also free.
In New York state, admission may be gained to any of the Normal Schools by any student that
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can obtain a recommendation from his school com- missioners or school superintendent. The applicant, however, must be sixteen years of age, have good health, and possess the requisite qualifications. Tlie entrance examinations required of applicants that do not have any of the certificates of proficiency hereinafter named, cover the following branches : Arithmetic, Geography, Grammar, Composition, Orthography, United States History, Civil Govern- ment, Physiology and Hygiene, and Penmanship. Each candidate must reach a minimum standing of 75 per cent., in all subjects. To be admitted with- out an examination, the applicant must present any one of the following evidences of proficiency, viz : the diploma recognized by the school department of the state, a state certificate, a first grade uniform examination certificate, a training class certificate, or second grade uniform examination certificate (in force), a regents' diploma, or a diploma from a high school having a course approved by law. I have not the means at hand to explain what these evi- dences of proficiency mean. The State Normal Schools are permitted to credit the regents' creden- tials for any of the following subjects, but this only applies to those who are making application for ad- vanced standing : Advanced Arithmetic, Advanced Grammar, Elementary Rhetoric, Zoology, Physiol- ogy, Botany, Geology, Physical Geography, As- tronomy, Civil Government, United States History, General History, Solid Geometry, Trigonometry, Caesar, Cicero, Vergil, Latin Prose Composition, Anabasis, Homer, Greek Prose Composition, French, German. Those who are admitted to ad- vanced standing graduate in one year. All other
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students are required to take two years. A college . diploma or state certificate will admit to this one- year course.
By the plan pursued in New York, it would appear that they can require more advanced aca- demic work in their two years' course than we can. In New York like Massachsetts, there is free tuition and free text-books for the students. All graduates of the Normal department receive a di- ploma which is a certificate for life to teach in the public schools of the state. New Jersey Normal course is three years, and the applicant must pass an entrance examination.
I have gone over the Normal courses in this brief way of these two representative states, in or- der to show the plans pursued. The conclusions. to be drawn from all this are that the tendency is toward more and more professional work. A cer- tain amount of academic work is doubtless neces- sary even in the ultra-professional school for the reason that such studies have a well recognized professional value; but on the other hand, they should not be allowed to absorb any very large portion of the Normal course.
Now, we reach the subject of this paper. I shall start with the assumption that the Massachu -. setts plan of purely professional work is not at the present time possible in Pennsylvania. Therefore the other problem of making our course more comprehensive is the one that confronts us. As incidental to this and as bearing on the general subject, shall we admit some additional academic studies into our course, and thereby extend it by one year, or shall we have an entrance examination
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and thus cut out enough of the.elementary studies to make room for the new, in order that we 'may keep within the two years' course ? Or are neither of these plans feasible ? Are we all satisfied with the present optional methods regarding the study of Chemistry, Natural History, Sloyd, and ad- vanced Latin ? I mean by the foregoing, this: in a number of our schools, owing to the fact that many of our seniors are high school graduates, we can give them advanced Latin and Chemistry. That is what I mean by the "optional plan." Have we not all found that the work of our seniors in the Model School is very much hindered by the embryo teacher's lack of elementary science, espec- ially when he or she attempts nature work ? From intercourse with several principals, I know this is true, and that each one has been trying in his own way to solve the problem. How can teachers teach the elements of Zoology without a knowledge of Zoology ? Can sufficient Natural History be taught with our work in Geography? I have heard that suggested as a possible solution. Other methods of solving this may suggest themselves, and some of you may be able to get over this dif- ficulty, but the fact remains that we need some uniform method.
To summarize, my arguments for some changes in the course are as follows :
First. Our graduates lack in scholarship, more particularly in Latin and Modern Languages, and Science.
Second. They are not as efficient teachers in the Model School as they should be because they lack in a knowledge of Science and in epoch His- tory.
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Third. There is an unnecessary weakness in English Literature. -
Several of the obvious arguments for the criti- cism concerning their scholarship have been men- tioned in the beginning ; that is to say they have not enough language to enter the classical course of a college, and next, they do not have an equal chance with college graduates for the better high school positions. It will be seen that I imply one of two methods of solving the problem : first, a sufficiently high entrance examination to exclude a number of the 'elementary subjects ; second, a year's extension of the course. To this might be added a compromise method including a little of both. One other beneficial result from the entrance examination would be to draw us closer to the high schools and thus obviating a portion, at least, of the overlapping of our courses. This to my mind, is also an important matter. The extent of the course with the introduction of more advanced work in Latin would also help to bridge the chasm between the college and the Normal School. These are matters also that are very far reaching, and ought to be considered by us.
Before I conclude, I want to go on record as to the importance of a more extended course. I want to see better scholars. With better scholar- ship, will come more power in teaching and in con- sequence, a greater respect for our graduates. When I look back over our course I feel ashamed of it and I cannot avoid criticising because it seems an outrage to give life certificates to incompetents ; and there is certainly no more expressive word for those of our graduates who are mediocre in ability
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and only pursue the minimum course.
I ask pardon for this lengthy paper, but the gravity of the Normal School situation at the pres- ent moment forces us to remove the mask and to face the actual situation. I am seeking for light on this subject and shall be grateful for the opinion of those who have had a wider Normal experience.
History of Changes in the Elementary Course ALBERT E. MALTBY
The history of the changes in the Elementary Course is a topic which calls for sources of informa- tion somewhat beyond those in the possession of the person to whom the subject has been assigned. Minutes of the proceedings of the Principals are not at hand, since many of such reports have never been printed, and any copies filed in the Depart-, ment of Public Instruction prior to February 2, 1897, were destroyed by fire. The only available sources remaining are to. be found in the catalogues of the schools as printed from time to time. Here again, the writer is met with a difficulty in the fact that the various schools do not possess surplus cop- ies for distribution, and in many cases the copy in the school library is the only one available for com- parison. The collection of data, then, depended largely upon the good nature of the persons to whom your correspondent wrote. Our own connection with the schools began in 1884, and from that date onward there may be greater or less definiteness in the historical data. Other sources have been found in the stray catalogues of the various State Normal Schools.
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Some of the friends to whom letters were sent asked whether there were not a secretary to record the minutes of the Meetings of the Principals ; and if so, are these records not among the archives of the Department at Harrisburg ? From Principals Eldon, Noss, Waller, Lyte, Flickinger, and others, catalogues and data were, however, obtained, sup- plementing those which were already in the posses- sion of the writer. The absence of Dr. Philips un- doubtedly deprived us of much valuable assistance.
The general method of procedure in regard to the matter of the earlier history must consist of a comparison of the catalogues issued in the early days of the various schools.
The basis of the Elementary Normal School Course is found in the Act of the Legislature, pass- ed May 20, 1857. Section 6, clause 4, P. L. p. 583, relating to the professors in the normal schools, practically outlines the course. Section 6, clause 7, P. L. p. 583, places the power to arrange the details . of the course in the hands of the Principals, subject to the approval of the State Superintendent of Pub- lic Instruction.
. The clause establishing the course is as fol- lows :
PROFESSORS .- Each school shall have at least six professors of liberal education and known abil- ity in their respective departments, namely : one of
(1) Orthography, Reading, and Elocution ;
(2) Writing, Drawing, and Book-keeping ;
(3) Arithmetic, and the higher branches of Math- ematics ;
(4) Geography and History ;
(5) Grammar and English Literature ;
(6) Theory and Practice of Teaching.
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1
Also, [together with] such tutors and assistants therein, and such professors of natural, mental, and moral sciences, languages, and literature, as the condition of the school, and the number of students may require.
[Act of May 20, 1857, section 6, clause 4, P. L. p. 583.]
Through the kindness of Dr. E. O. Lyte of Millersville State Normal School, a most valuable 'volume of the early catalogues of the first Penn- sylvania Normal School was placed in the care of the author. So rich is this volume in material for use in the history of the changes in the course, that no apology is offered for the insertion of copi- ous extracts from the pages of the various cata- logues therein found. From the historical remarks found in the earlier catalogues, the data here given are obtained.
The existence of the Lancaster County Normal School was owing to the establishment of the office of County Superintendent of Common Schools in Lancaster County, and the increased demand for professional instruction thereby created among teachers.
During the summer of 1854, a number of the citizens of Millersville and its vicinity, desiring a more liberal education for their children than that furnished by the common schools of the neighbor- hood, erected a building for the purpose of estab- lishing a school, which they proposed to call the Millersville Academy. In the spring of 1855, learn- ing that County Superintendent J. P. Wickersham desired a suitable building in which to hold a Teachers' Institute, the trustees of the proposed
.
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Academy offered their building gratuitously for that purpose, promising to supply any want of boarding accommodations by private hospitality. The In- stitute opened on the 17th of April, and during the three months' term there was an attendance of one hundred and thirty-five students. The results were so satisfactory, and showed so clearly the want of permanent institutions of like character, that the trustees decided to enlarge their buildings and es- tablish a regular Normal School. By November 5, 1855, the new buildings posting $26000 were ready for occupancy. The number of students attracted proved that the projectors of the school had not miscalculated its necessity. During the summer of 1856, the number of students attending the school reached two hundred and six ; and although the school was at first designed to accommodate only the teachers of a single; county, the catalogue of 1857 contained the names of students from twenty- four different counties in Pennsylvania together with students from several other states.
Such success, attained by private effort unaid- ed by the State, was soon to receive its crown of commendation. Through the efforts of the princi- pal of the school, and many strong friends, the Legislature passed a general Normal School law granting certain privileges to such private institu- tions as would comply with the requisitions of the law and engage in the work of training teachers for the common schools. Since the law required that each Normal School established under it should have grounds to the extent of ten acres, a hall ca- pable of seating one thousand persons, and boarding and other accommodations for at least three hun-
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dred students, the trustees and stockholders at a public meeting held June 29, 1857, passed the fol- lowing resolution :
"Resolved, That it is expedient to so enlarge the grounds attached to the school, and to make such additions to the buildings connected there- with, as to bring the school within the requirements of the Act of Assembly approved the 20th day of May, 1857."
The liberality of the friends of education in Lancaster county and in the counties adjoining soon enabled the school authorities to carry this res- olution into effect ; and, on December 3, 1859, the school at Millersville received the honor of recog- nition as the First Pennsylvania State Normal School, Hon. Henry C. Hickok being State Super- intendent of Common Schools. The papers bearing upon this recognition by the State will be presented in another part of this history.
In our investigation of the origin of the Ele- mentary Course it will be well to examine some- what the work done in the Lancaster County Nor- mal Institute as briefly outlined in the catalogue issued in 1855 by J. P. Wickersham, A. M., Princi- pal.
Its object was to furnish to the teachers of Lancaster County and other parts of the State the means of obtaining, during three months of their summer vacation, the most thorough professional training :
I. By giving sound instruction in the va- rious branches.
2. By imparting a knowledge of the most approved methods of teaching.
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3. By furnishing an opportunity of actual practice in Model Schools connected with the in- stitution.
As the principal design of the institute was to improve the teachers in the common schools, a thorough course of instruction was given in all the branches usually taught therein. Instruction was also given in several of the higher branches of an English education.
The result of this delicate and important ex- periment, to which the friends of the common schools looked with great anxiety, was both bene- ficial and decisive. It was undertaken with con- siderable hesitation, for a failure at this critical time would have resulted in serious injury to the cause ; its success, however, largely decided public opinion in favor of establishing Normal Schools for the professional training of teachers for the common schools. The services of County Super- intendent J. P.Wickersham, as Principal of the Insti- tute, were rendered without any additional compen- sation. Among the resolutions passed by the stu- dents at the close of the terin we find the following :
"Resolved, That we, the students of this Insti- tute, tender our heartfelt thanks to Prof. J. P. Wickersham, Superintendent of Common Schools of Lancaster County, for the establishment of this Normal School : and for the great zeal and untir- ing energy with which he has so nobly labored for our improvement in the Art and Science of Teach- ing during its sessions."
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