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Show In his lrwt annual report Superintendent Benedict calledattention to the necessity and desire upon the part of a great majority of teachers . for better normal training. They expressed themselves as anxious to become better prepared for instructing thejr pupils by the more modern methods adopted in white schools and in other Indian schools. The normal schools heretofore held by some of the superintendents, being little more than farces or sources of revenue for officials, fell so much into disrepute as to be valueless. This has been changed under the new order, and Superintendent Benedict says: Several months ago I applied to the authorities at Washington for an appropriation with which to conduct summer nonnal schools for the teachers of the Tenitory, hut owing to the uncertain condition of the numerous bills then pending in Congreas relating to Territorial affairs we were unable to secure any financial aid. Knowing something of the great value of normals and institutes to the teachen and to the schools, and knowing that the teachers of the Territory were specially in need of some normal training, we determined to accomplish something along that line. 4fter consultation with the school supervisors and some of the tribal school oficials, it was agreed that such normals should be held during the month of June in the Cherokee, Creek, and Choctaw nationn These normals were held in thelarge acade- ' mies and a fee of $12 was collected from each teacher in attendance for hoard, mom, and tuition for the term of four weeks. After paying actual cost of board the halanee of the funds received was distributed amone. tne instructors who were emuloved to A . conduct the recitations. The plan of hoarding the teachera, of keeping them together n ~solatedac ademies for a month, was a new one, and it was not without some feelines 1 of doubt and anxiety that we undertook this task. We succeeded, however, beyoid our expectations. The teachera realized the need of improvement and were eager for the narmrtls. Supervisors Coppock, Ballard, and McArthur spent the entire 'month of June in the normals of their respective nations and rendered valmble aid to the instructon who were employed during the term. Each of these supervisors taught some clwea daily and wefe ever ready with valuable augge&ions concerning school methods and management. As educational conditions vary with the several tribes, there being no uniformity of laws, customs, or methods, the work among the dif-ferent nations will he treated separately. Choctaw Ration.-As the control of the schools of this nation has been assumed by the Department under its construction of the Curtis law, "Rules and regulations .concerning education in Indian Terri-tory" were directly applicable to this nation. These regulations pro-vided for opening and maintaining the day schools, academies, and orphan asylums of the nation. As soon after the 1st of July, 1899, possible necessary steps were taken for opening all schools. Teachers and other employees were provided and contracts made for the main-tenance of the boarding schools. While the contract system of running the boarding schools and orphan asylums was open to many objections, yet for various reasons no change has been deemed advisable in the method. The schools were promptly opened in the early portion of the school |
