tainly it would be beneficial for those to whom the high school is the finishing school. The community into which the normal-school graduate goes to teach may not be able to appreciate his accurate knowledge of the sciences or of a foreign language, his professional understanding of the methods of teaching reading or nature study, his familiarity with the history of education; but let him show a weakness in his grasp of the common branches, and they are quick enough to detect it and often unreasonably harsh in the judgment they pass upon him because of his weakness. It is in view of this fact that the normal schools of Wisconsin, while accepting the diploma from a four-year-course high school as a qualification for admission to the junior class of the school, nevertheless require the holder of such diploma to pass an examination in arithmetic, grammar, and geography before he may be admitted to a class studying the professional phases of those subjects.

We have heard it often repeated during the past few years that the time is near at hand when graduation from a four-year-course high school will be absolutely necessary for admission to any normal school. It seems quite evident that if we are trying to outline the qualifications for a teacher in an ideal system of schools, we shall insist that the requirement ought to include a normal-school course of at least two years subsequent to a four-years' high-school course. But we must face the conditions actually existing before we commit ourselves to the proposition that we have now reached a time when we can demand high-school graduation for all students entering the normal school.

I take Wisconsin as a typical state of the north central section, and because a long residence there has made me familiar with its public-school system. The state superintendent's report for the school year 1901-2 shows that there were 13,403 teachers employed in the public schools of the state for that year, 3,099 of whom were employed in cities having superintendents of schools. The average professional life of a city teacher with us is not more than seven years, and probably less than that length of time. That would necessitate about 450 new teachers each year, to supply the places of those dropping out of the city schools. The average professional life of the rural-school teacher is probably not more than three years. That would call for about 3,500 new teachers annually for these schools. To meet these demands for new teachers the seven normal schools of the state, enrolling 2,600 students during the school year 1901-2, graduated 395 from the advanced course and 146 from the elementary course. It will be seen that the graduates from the advanced course do not suffice to furnish the cities of the state with the number of new teachers needed, and the elementary course furnishes only about 4 per cent. of the number needed for the rural schools.

Under such circumstances it would be worse than folly for us to consider seriously at this time in the educational development of the state

the feasibility of limiting attendance upon the normal schools to those who are high-school graduates. One-half of the number of students enrolled are first- or second-year students—that is, are pursuing with their professional work studies of high-school rank. At a time when those completing the course in the normal schools especially designed for ruralschool teachers are only one twenty-fifth of the number actually needed, does it seem wise to advocate the abolition of the so-called elementary course and exclude one-half of the students now in attendance upon the schools? Not to paint the picture in colors darker than is justifiable, I ought to say that the situation is somewhat relieved by the employment. in the rural schools of more than fifteen hundred undergraduates of the normal schools as teachers.

The evolution that is going on in this matter of securing professionally trained teachers for the common schools is shown by the fact that the four schools situated in the southern half of the state-the older portion— have 37 per cent. of their students in the elementary course, while the three schools in the northern part-the more recently settled portion of the state have 70 per cent. of their students in this same course. Realizing the fact that its normal schools are not satisfying the demand. for teachers for rural schools, the state has provided for the establishment of a number of county training schools for teachers, to which are admitted those who have secured a common-school diploma. It is probable that many of the students who have spent their year in these county training schools will, after an interval of teaching, enroll in the normal schools and so further prepare themselves for service in the public schools of the

state.

I do not believe it is the wise thing, however, for the normal schools to withdraw entirely froin the field of preparing teachers for the rural schools. If for no other reason than a matter of policy, it seems to me that the normal schools must keep in close touch with the country schools, especially in these states where the majority of the population is found in those portions which God is said to have made the country. Furthermore, I believe it is desirable for every person intending to enter upon the work of teaching in the public schools to have at least a year's experience in teaching in a rural school, so that he may gain the self-reliance that such work naturally develops. If there is any inherent virtue in the American system of town government, anything that helps to develop a democratic spirit, then it is well for our intending teachers to gain the discipline that may come from teaching in a school most closely associated with that form of government. To keep in touch with the country schools it seems to me absolutely necessary that we should continue the elementary course in our normal schools. We cannot expect that the prospect of permanent employment in such schools will prove sufficiently alluring to induce our high-school graduates to take two years in the

normal school to prepare for this work. for them.

It is a poor financial investment

An examination of the catalogs of the state normal schools in the north central section of states will satisfy any one that the data given with regard to Wisconsin represent the condition of affairs in most of the normal schools of that section-that about one-half of the students enrolled are in the two-years' course of the normal school, the academic work of which would correspond more nearly to the last two years of a four-years' course in a high school. That about the same ratio exists in the New York state normal schools may be inferred from the fact that during the year 1900-1901, when there were 4,523 students in attendance upon the twelve schools, there were only 1,089 graduates-approximately one graduate to four students enrolled. During the same year there were 43,372 students enrolled in the public normal schools of the United States and 8,753 graduates-or one graduate to every five students enrolling. In so far as my knowledge goes, it is not a correct statement of facts to say that students are admitted to high schools and to state normal schools upon the same standard of scholastic attainment. Not only is a much higher standard of maturity demanded of the entering student in the normal school, but a higher standard of scholarship is also required. I am led to make this denial because of the repetition of this statement in discussions that have occurred in various departments of this Association, as reported in the published proceedings.

That what is true of the insufficiency of the normal-school product in the north central states to supply the teachers needed for the schools in that section is true in other parts of the United States may be seen from the following statistics, taken from the report of the state superintendent of public instruction of New York for 1902: The total number of graduates from the normal schools for the year 1901 was 1,089. The total number of licensed teachers employed in the state for the same year was 32,453. If we allow six years as the length of the professional service of the average teacher, there would be needed 5,400 new teachers each year. It will be seen that the normal-school output would supply just about one-fifth of that number. Commissioner Harris says in his article on "Elementary Education" in the volume Education in the United States: "It may be assumed, therefore, that less than one-eighth of the supply of new teachers comes from the training schools especially designed to educate teachers." President Schurman's statement is that only 15 per cent. of the teachers in the United States have passed thru normal schools.

In view of these facts, should we be taking a step forward or backward if we were to reduce the number of students attending normal schools by admitting none but high-school graduates? It would seem as if this were a new application of the old homeopathic principle of high

potencies- the higher the potency of your drug, the more efficacious its remedial agency.

The consideration that enters more largely into this matter than any other one is probably the compensation that awaits the intending teacher. When one learns that the average salary paid to teachers in the cities of the United States is $687, he will at once admit the reasonableness of demanding high-school graduation as a condition for admission to the normal school in the preparation of teachers of this class. And yet this question cannot be settled purely by a determination of average salary. We have here an illustation of the old Hindoo proverb that "the ox was drowned in the stream whose average depth was only sufficient to cover the hoof." While we might be entirely willing to recommend even college graduation as a prerequisite for professional training for teachers in the cities of New York state, whose average salary is $928, yet we should be inclined to think that, considered as a matter of financial investment, the expense of a high-school course, supplemented by two years in a normal school, would not be warranted by the average annual salary of teachers in the cities of West Virginia, $413. When we take into account the salaries paid to country-school teachers, we shall see how hopeless is the case of those demanding high-school graduation plus normal-school training as a qualification for all teachers. The average monthly salary for women teachers outside of cities in Wisconsin for the school year 1901-2 was $33.19. We cannot expect that young women will enter upon a prolonged course of training in high school and normal school with no prospect of greater financial return than this. Are we not beginning at the wrong end of this problem? Should we not rather set ourselves to the task of securing a respectable compensation for teachers of rural schools, being assured that the demands for higher qualifications will always be a little in advance of the increase in salary; I do not wish to be understood as pleading for the continuance of a low standard of entrance to normal schools. I believe that these schools should always keep in advance of popular demand for progress in educational matters; but they must not be so far in advance as to get out of sight of the taxpayer. They must remember the responsibility that rests upon them to educate the public as they advance. No advanced position can be maintained unless they hasten to bring the people to this position, so that educational orthodoxy shall always be crowding upon the heels of radicalism. I have no doubt that there will be a continued gradual progress in the standard of admission to normal schools, so that states that now admit upon the presentation of a third-grade teacher's certifi cate, or its equivalent, shall soon require the candidate to present the second-grade certificate; those requiring the second-grade certificate will demand a first-grade certificate; those demanding the first-grade certifi cate will ask that the intending student will present a certificate of the

completion of a three-year course in a high school, or its equivalent. Eventually, as salaries slowly advance in response to this gradually increasing demand for professionally trained teachers, with no corresponding increase in the supply of such teachers, we shall reach a position where we may ask that the teacher shall have had her normal-school training subsequent to a high-school course; and this, I hope, even for the teacher of the rural school. I am glad that Massachusetts has already reached that advanced position, and I shall be more than pleased when Wisconsin shall have gained the same point of progress. But I hope that we may never be compelled to purchase that advancement at the cost of a separation in normal schools of those who are preparing for teaching in rural districts, on the one hand, and those who will render service as teachers in city schools, on the other. Each class needs the influence of the other.

DISCUSSION

E. L. HENDRICKS, superintendent of schools, Delphi, Ind.—In a consideration of the standard of admission to normal schools, I believe that some things may be insisted upon with uniformity.

Good health and a sound body should certainly be required of all who would be teachers. The dyspeptic and the deformed should not stand before the young.

Common-sense and native ability should be prime requisites to admission. No amount of professional training can take their place. The teacher must be able to see the general fitness of things.

If moral character-building is the highest aim in education, high types of manhood and womanhood should be expected of those who engage in the finest of the fine arts.

These characteristics are fundamental and should be demanded everywhere. They may not always be discernible when the student seeks admission; but, if found wanting, the would-be teacher should be advised to withdraw from a prospect of so grave responsibility.

Scholastic requirements for admission may not be insisted upon with the same degree of uniformity. The conditions of admission to any school should be determined, in large measure, by the needs of the educational field which supports the school. With state normal schools this field is the state. We may regret the provincialism, but it remains the duty of the school to supply the needs of the state. As long as there is a difference in the educational needs of our states, the scholastic requirements for admission to our normal schools cannot be uniform.

We rejoice with Massachusetts, who has led the way before, that she can require graduates of first-class high schools. Indiana would do as well, or better, but at present it would be impossible to maintain so high a standard. During the school year just closed only 15 per cent. of Indiana's teachers were normal-school graduates; only 8 per cent. were graduates of state normal schools. At our last meeting of city superintendents repeated calls were made for trained teachers and there was no answer. Nor is this dearth of trained teachers peculiar to Indiana—which, by the way, is not as old as some Massachusetts teachers now living. The Report of the Committee on Normal Schools informs us that 75 per cent. of teachers in this country are without any special training for their work. We must not increase this percentage of untrained teachers for the sake of a higher standard of scholarship.