Page:A history of the Michigan state normal school (now Normal college) at Ypsilanti, Michigan, 1849-1899 (IA historyofmichiga00putniala).pdf/104



scientific. Of these, the first was almost exclusively literary and historical, the second ignored literature and history and was almost purely scientific and mathematical. Therefore, any student desiring a strong English course was compelled to take an unsymmetrical body of work. We gave him his choice between two kinds of mental distortion, but insisted that he should take one or the otlier. * * * * The new scheme allows each student to employ his time upon such studies as are most advantageous to him, knowing that he will not be defeated of graduation provided he has satisfactorily completed the prescribed amount of work, including all required studies.’’

An advanced course of two added years was also provided leading to the degree of Bachelor of Pedagogics, oue of the degrees which the Board of Education had been empowered, by a recent legislative act, to bestow. Provision was also made for giving the degree of Master of Pedagogics upon conditions stated in connection with the courses of instruction. Finally in the school year 1890-1 special courses were arranged for graduates of high schools. At the close of the administration of Principal Sill in 1893 the requirements for admission to the normal school, and the courses of study and instruction were substantially as follows:

1. Students entering were required to sign a declaration of intention to teach in the schools of Michigan.

2. Graduates of approved high schools were admitted without an entrance examination.

3. Other applicants for admission were required to sustain a satisfactory examination in the following subjects:

(a) Arithmetic, including the facts, principles, and operations of simple and compound numbers, of fractions, of ratio and proportion, of percentage and its applications, and of square root.

(b) English Grammar, including the parts of speech and their uses or relations in connected discourse, and the structure and analysis of sentences.

(c) Geography, including position, boundaries, -and coast lines of grand divisions ; location of the great plateaus and the lower lands; position and direction of mountain ranges; the source, course, and discharge of rivers; boundaries, capitals, and chief cities of political divisions, and, in general, the contents of the maps of a good Grammar School Geography.

(d) Spelling.