COLLEGES FOR TEACHERS, or col leges in which are special departments for the study of the history of education, psychology as applied to teaching, pedagogy, and all subjects bearing upon methods of instruction.
To the English schoolmaster, Richard Mul caster, is given the credit of being one of the first, if not the first, to propose a college for the training of teachers. He classified his chief reasons for desiring the establishment of such a school under four heads: (1) Importance of the work, it will make or mar the State; (2) The great numbers who are to teach and be taught; (3) Need of the profession of teaching, professors must be trained; (4) That teachers may acquire wisdom is. arranging and present ing subjects, in economizing time and that they may attain staidness of demeanor.
Instruction in the science and art of teach ing was included in the university scheme that was proposed for Columbia College in 1858, but then without avail. Again President Barnard urged upon the trustees of the same college in 1881 and 1882 the same plan, which he had now worked out much more fully. The next step forward was the organization in New York, in 1888, of Teachers' College, which was chartered the following year. While this college was or ganized outside of the Columbia system, it was still under the control, in great part, of Colum bia men, and was loosely affiliated with the college. The last step in the evolution carne in 1898, when Teachers' College was made an integral part of the educational system of Co lumbia University. The president of Columbia is president also of the college, and the univer sity professors of philosophy and education and of psychology are members of its faculty, while the college is represented in the university coun cil by its dean and an elected representative. The college, however, continues its own sepa rate organization, having its own independent board of trustees, which is charged with the sole financial responsibility of its management.
Teachers' College is the professional school of Columbia University for the study of edu cation and the training of teachers, ranking with the schools of law, medicine and applied science. The university accepts courses in edu cation as part of the requirement for the de grees of A.B., A.M., and Ph.D.; while graduate
students who prefer to devote their entire time to professional study may become candidates for the higher diploma of the college. The col lege diploma is conferred upon students who have successfully completed some one of the general courses, and a departmental diploma upon those who have fitted themselves for particular branches of school work. Under graduate students of Columbia and Barnard colleges may, if they desire, obtain the diploma of Teachers' College at the same time that they receive the degree of Bachelor of Arts, The Horace Mann school, fully equipped with kin dergarten, elementary and secondary classes, is maintained by Teachers' College as a school of observation and practice.
These are the undergraduate courses: Secondary course leading to the degree of A.I3. and the college diploma ; general course lead ing to the college diploma in elementary teach ing; general. course leading to the college diploma in kindergarten teaching. Then there are several courses leading to the college diploma in art, domestic art, domestic science and manual training. Candidates for the first of these courses must be either college graduates or candidates for the degree of A.B. in Colum bia University. There is a combined course of Study pre-scribed for the degtee of A.B. in Columbia University and the diploma of Teachers' College. Graduate work iS also well developed. The Extension Department, which was established in 1902, since when it has in creased wonderfully in importance, furnishes afternoon and evening courses for those whose occupation prevents them taking the r course of study. The Speyer School anerti.ahe Horace Mann high, elementary and kindergarten schools are equipped and used by the college as schools of observation and practice. The col lege possesses an educational library of over 60,000 volumes, an extensive educational museum and a residential building, Whittier Hall, pre sented to it in 1908. In the following year the School of Household Arts, costing over $500,000, was opened. In 1918 the college buildings and grounds were valued at about $4,000,0K It had 230 instructors and 4,8&3 students, in its college and related work. For the year 1898-99 the teaching staff counted more than 60 persons.