primary school is evident, and it is equally clear that special training, culture and discipline of the teacher are necessary in order to produce the best result.

"In the 1,146 school districts reporting this year, 43,157 pupils are reported as having been enrolled. The magnitude of the work of instructing these children cannot be measured. These 1,146 schools have undoubtedly accomplished a vast good, notwithstanding the numerous obstacles in the way of improvement, such as the short terms, frequent changes of teachers, low salaries, irregular attendance and tardiness of pupils, want of cooperation on the part of school officers and parents, etc. At the same time, it is evident that had all these schools been under the management of trained teachers, equally conscientious and earnest with the present ones, the result would have been still more satisfactory and useful. Improve the teachers and you improve the schools."

The work of the normal school is especially that of preparing teachers for the duties of the class-room, either in graded or ungraded schools, high schools or colleges. The subject matter of a carefully prepared course of study is most thoroughly and systematically taught, but school management and the methods of teaching constitute the prominent and distinctive feature of the normal school. In the college the studies are pursued from the standpoint of the learner, while in the normal school a twofold view of the subject is obtained: first, from the standpoint of the learner, and then from the standpoint of the teacher. More than this, every recitation is an answer to the question, "How shall I teach this subject?" In addition to this, regular professional classes are organized, which meet daily for recitation in the science of education and the art of teaching, as presented by the ablest writers on the subject, aided by lectures from the faculty, full discussion in the class, and practice teaching in the school.

HISTORY OF NORMAL SCHOOLS.

The first normal school of which we have any accurate account was founded in 1861 by the Abbe de la Salle, canon of the cathedral at Rheims.

In 1687 Francke, one of Germany's most illustrious educators, established a teachers' class, composed of poor students who paid for their tuition by assisting him in his work of instruction. In 1704 he selected from his class twelve teachers who were trained by him for two years, and who exhibited such an aptness to teach that the school through them became famous, hundreds coming to it to study his improved methods.

Hecker, a pupil of Francke, established a training school at Stettin in 1735, and another in Berlin in 1748. Frederick the Great, under

whose patronage he worked, established a special training of teachers, thus laying a foundation of the thorough professional training, as indispensable to the teacher as the hospital to the inexperienced physician.

Gradually the system spread over the greater part of Europe, and since 1843 has been introduced into the remaining countries of Europe, into North and South America, into British India and Japan. The number reported in 1875 is as follows: Italy, 115; Prussia, 101; other German States, 73; England, 41; Belgium, 33; Switzerland, 32; British India, 104; and the rest in proportion.

NORMAL SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES.

Massachusetts established the first normal school in the United States, the Prussian system having been made familiar to the people of New England by Rev. Charles Brooks, who became so deeply interested in the system that he resolved to investigate it for himself, and went to Europe for that purpose.

After his return he spent several years endeavoring to disseminate his ideas concerning the importance of normal schools, and succeeded in enlisting in the cause many able men, among whom were Horace Mann, John Quincy Adams and Daniel Webster. Finally the legislature of Massachusetts established a State board of education, with Horace Mann as secretary, and made an appropriation to establish two normal schools.

In 1834 the public school society of the city of New York founded a Saturday normal school, but this was only a high school in which the elementary branches were taught.

In 1823 a normal school of a private character was opened by S. R. Hall, but it was not until 1839 that the first normal school was established at Lexington, Massachusetts, under the principalship of Cyrus Pierce.

Since 1840 these schools have been growing in number and influence, until at the present time there are are 156. They employ 1,227 instructors, and enroll 39,669 students.

Normal schools are no longer an experiment. They have long ago passed the experimental stage, and taken a high position as a factor in our educational system. They are highly appreciated by the people, because of all schools supported by the State the normal schools most directly affect the welfare of all.

The large and increasing appropriations of money made for the support of normal schools in those States where they have had a thorough trial show the estimation in which they are held on their merits.

The necessity for such a school in the State of Oregon was deeply felt by those who had labored for the advancement of popular education in the State, until provision was made for the State normal school by the legislative assembly of 1882. While we believe the system adopted in this State is far from what it should be, and while we invite the friends of public schools to assist us in improving the system through better legislation, our State normal school is a grand success, notwithstanding the imperfection of the system. Experience has proved that a normal school under the care and direction of the State, is a necessary part of a State educational system; that good schools cannot be had without properly trained teachers, and to supply these no agency has been found so efficient as properly conducted normal schools, where education is taught as a science and teaching as an art. Connected with this strictly professional work is necessarily such a literary course as will prepare students for teaching the various branches. The literary course is best taken in the normal school, for teachers naturally incline to teach as they have been taught, and the task of unlearning the wrong methods that have been acquired is frequently the greatest obstacle in the way of success in the school room. As an economic measure the normal school is important to every citizen of the State. For want of proper professional training, a large percentage of young teachers make so poor a degree of success that the money paid to them is little better than thrown away, and any of them would do much better work by having the proper methods at hand. The training that the normal school gives will more than double the efficiency of our public school teachers, so that the money expended will produce correspondingly increased results in the intellectual, moral and physical development of the young. Oregon expends on her public schools nearly a million dollars annually. If, through the instrumentality of normal schools, the result of the public schools is doubled, it is equivalent to adding a million dollars annually to our school fund. This is too important a matter to be overlooked by any citizen of the State. School officers should be especially careful to see that the teachers whom they employ shall either have large and successful experience of their own or have such a professional training as will insure their success.