PLACE OF HOLDING EXAM-
INATIONS.

STATEMENT

Showing number of examinations held by the State Board of Examiners, together with fees received.

Fees received.

STATEMENT

Of the expenses of the State Board of Examiners from date of its organization.

It has been the aim of the Board of Examiners to make the examinations reasonably thorough, and to issue certificates and diplomas to those only, who by experience, character and scholarship have shown themselves worthy to hold them. The law is growing in favor with teachers and superintendents throughout the State, and a large number have been making special preparation for the examinations which will occur during the coming year. This can not fail to have an excellent influence upon the scholarship of our teachers, and has done much already, and will do more to create a professional spirit. The results of the law have been all that its friends anticipated, and there is no doubt that it will grow in favor and continue to be popular as it deserves to be.

NORMAL INSTITUTES.

There were in attendance upon the normal institutes of 1884 fourteen thousand seven hundred and ninety-four teachers. The number for 1885 is sixteen thousand seven hundred and twenty-two. For 1886 there were in attendance eighteen thousand and twenty-six.

From the year 1881 the increase has been constant and very rapid. The difficulty now experienced in most counties is how to provide accommodations for the large numbers that attend. This is a problem the solution of which cannot long be delayed. Where rooms are over crowded and the institute becomes cumbersome and unwieldly, the instruction must partake largely of the lecture plan to very large classes, and individual work and personal instruction becomes an impossibility. This greatly detracts from the good which might be realized under more favorable circumstances. Our system of reports does not enable us to determine what it would be interesting to know viz.: whether the number of experienced and aetual teachers in attendance upon these institutes is increasing from year to year in proportion to the entire increase.

It must be presumed that this is not the case, although the institute is growing in favor with experienced teachers, and we think the number of such teachers attending is gradually increasing. But the large proportion of the increase is undoubtedly due to the presence of a younger class of persons who are in preparation for the work. These are largely young people from the country districts who come directly from the common schools, and who have never had opportunity to attend secondary schools.

As a rule they are deficient in scholarship, and stand in need of immediate and thorough academic instruction. The first great work in connection with these young people is to inform them as to what they are to teach, and while the normal institute should be primarily a school of methods for the benefit of those who are in charge of the schools to day, it must of necessity slight didactic training in the interests of those who are to have charge of the schools in years to come. If the normal institute could successfully meet the demand that it shall take the place of a high school, academy or college, the situation would be more hopeful, but this it cannot do. The term is too short, and the number to be taught too large. Scholarship must be supplied in the main by other schools, and the normal institute may then give proper attention to methods of instruction and organization, and thus help those who are prepared to profit by such instruction and at a time when they most need it. Many of our counties are without good high schools, and owing to the further fact that many of our young teachers are too poor to attend colleges and academies at a distance from their homes, their main, and indeed their only dependence has been the common school and the normal institute. The law provides that any county may establish a

COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

but so far we have but one such school in the State. This school is located at Panora, in Guthrie county, and is now in successful operation. If we had, as we should have, a large number of these county schools, they would go far to furnish the advantages so much needed by young people preparing to teach. But it appears that there is nothing to be looked for in this direction.

The State is now appropriating fifty dollars for the normal institute of each county, making $4,950 in all for the institutes of the State. The great importance and value of normal instruction would justify, and indeed demands the appropriation of a much larger sum. A solution of the difficulties now surrounding the normal institute, cannot be hoped for from State normal schools. We have one such school located at Cedar Falls in Black Hawk county. This school has always been successful and the attendance good. We should have more such schools, but judging from past failures to secure favorable legislation, there is no reasonable expectation that the number will be increased.