Normal Schools

schools for training teachers, usually primary school teachers. The first normal schools were established in Austria in the second half of the 18th century and in France in the late 18th century. Many such schools were founded in the Anglo-Saxon countries in the 19th century, where they were later called teachers colleges. Today, there are normal schools in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the French parts of Switzerland and Canada, many Latin American countries, and some African countries.