Page:A history of the Michigan state normal school (now Normal college) at Ypsilanti, Michigan, 1849-1899 (IA historyofmichiga00putniala).pdf/88



reaction which should sweep all these studies out of the curriculum. In his report for 1873 the State Superintendent of Public Instruction said, “‘So long as we are maintaining but one school for the training of persons for the teacher's work, the expediency of continuing in the Normal courses those branches of study that are rarely reached by pupils in the highest department of our graded schools even, is very guestivnable. Should not that policy be adopted which will furnish to the State the greatest number of skillful teachers in the shortest time?’’ Such language from the highest educational officer of the State foreshadowed that radical revision of the normal courses of instruction which took place at a little later period. The demand that academic instruction, so-called, should be more completely eliminated from the courses continued to grow stronger for several successive years. Referring to this demand, the Principal said in his report for 1874, ‘‘Itis claimed by those who now criticise the normal school most severely, that a// academic instruction should be excluded, and the whole time should be devoted to pedagogics and methods. But nine-tenths of all who come here for instruction need a thorough review of the common English branches, and are, therefore, unfitted to receive instruction in the theory and practice of teaching. * * * * The attempt to eliminate all academic instruction from the normal school would result if successful, in the most partial and superficial qualification of those who should go out to teach in our schools, Unless thorough knowledge is acquired here, it will not be acquired at all. The illustration of methods would be less clearly impressed upon the minds of pupils when given once or twice for the purpose of illustration, than if they were made daily witnesses of good methods, by competent instructors, and they themselves the subjects of the instruction.’

The Board of visitors for the same year, said, in their report, “The theory that normal instruction should have the same place in our State system of education that law and medicine have, is at first view plausible, but will hardly be practicable until the district school teacher shall receive larger remuneration than the people are at present willing to give.’’ The visiting