Show PERSONAL OPINION The Place of the School of Education The University of Ut Utah h has among its schools a college of education familiarly known as the Normal School Comparatively few individuals seem to understand fully the position of the Department Department De De- of Education They rank It t merely as asan asan asan an outgrowth of the university a secondary consideration consideration consideration con con- a department where students who could not be college students may go whereas the University itself is properly an outgrowth of this much misunderstood Normal School Many people have the idea that the preparatory preparatory preparatory tory school and the Normal School are identical Such is far from true The preparatory school is as its name implies a school to prepare students for college enabling them to enter any department department department depart depart- ment whether it be law arts medicine mines or education It is a sad f fact ct that students who should know better as well as perso persons s not informed informed informed in in- formed upon the subject feel called upon to apologize apologize apologize apolo apolo- gize for the Normal School But why any apology apology apology apol apol- ogy To those who are at all familiar with conditions conditions conditions con con- as they really e exist such excuses betray ignorance There are only two possible reasons why excuses should be made and these are a depreciation depreciation depreciation de de- of the work offered and completed and anda a lack of interest on the part of the students As Asan Asan Asan an Arts student who has taken work in the school of education I can testify that it offers no easy courses The work of the future teachers is as difficult as any in the University The preparation preparation preparation tion required to say nothing of the time spent at lectures and practice work is equal to four times the credit given Therefore ease of work cannot be the reason for the popularity which the department department department de de- undoubtedly possesses As to the quality of the work done only a few words are necessary The demand made by Utah for normal graduates is greater than the supply and neighboring states are also eager to secure their services And nd as a further evidence of the thoroughness of this department only last week the Board of Education of California voted to allow holders of normal certificates from the University of Utah to teach without examination in the grammar grades of California The severity of California's teaching requirements is well obviates the known and such an announcement necessity for further explanation as to the efficiency efficiency efficiency effi effi- of our Normal Sc School Training for the teaching occupation is ju just t as much professional work as is studying medicine or law The results are just as great for the liv lives s of thousands of individuals which the doctor or lawyer never reach the influence of th teachers teacher's life is exert exert- ed Nothing is more sacred or beautiful than the life of a child and what could be a richer reward reward reward re re- ward than to have been of material aid in mould mould- ing that life The normal students of today are the teachers of tomorrow They will be real representatives representatives representatives rep rep- of our University for because ot it their profession they will become as widely known as any of the graduates As to the second objection that of lack of interest interest interest in in- terest on the part of students no per person on who thinks will give weight to it Some of the students students students stu stu- dents are frivolous some are serious The majority majority majority ma ma- of the latter class as a rule are those students who appreciate what an education means They are graduated from high schools and either teach in order to come to the University University sity or else they come to the Normal School study diligently and return to the school room Since the normal students have much of their thir work in a building apart from those occupied oy Dy oythe oythe the students of medicine law or engineering and since they are more closely allied as a class than any other class it is natural that they should 1 G O 3 c somewhat apart from the other students What if there should be a grain of tru truth h in inthe inthe inthe the comments sometimes made about the normal dep department As college students striving together er to bring out the best there is within us to betrue betrue be true to our selves is it not our duty to do all we can to remove any question of inferiority from this department Shall we not make the normal students feel that they as well as we are true University students real college men and women even though they are with us us for only two years o 0 |