New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-08-23
PRACTICAL EDUCATION.

speaker at the Convention Of the New WORK state
Teachers Association recently held in Geneye OBJ
iocted cmphaticsy 10 The TRIBUNRs advocacy oil
VIVA, he called special or practical education which
aimed At preparing our youth for usefulness IN the
various fields Of active duty to the neglect OF the
regular Systematic training Of the mind in all the
branches of liberal education. such speech has
fine sound of breadth culture and Intellectually; but
il seems 10 u, AZ fault in respect 10 accuracy of state.
ment II is doubtful whether any system Of education
has or ever bad 10 the regular systematic train
ing Of the human mind the bost possible cultivation
Of the Intelligence or the production Of highly finished
faculties Systems OF education grow ont Of the pTae-
teal needs Of times and communities. "heh delio'
er,ter sb,yed or altered the effort he's been to adapt
them better 70 the immediate Uses OF Tie society IN
which they we're maintained. They were all at first
special and practical they all aimed at preparing
youth Tor usefulness in tie various helds OF active
duty 10 which they were called. II was the simple
difference in the kind o. usefulness demanded, and in
the kind OF fields opened. TIA. decided the character
Of The system. The Classical or English system was
p.,smnent.y practical aud wonderfully fitted to ITS
purpose--it purpose being 10 train select number OF
men al great cost for the needs OF the country IN
church AID State AID society; to prepare learned
class fr the administration of government, The main
tenance Of the ecclesiastical Establishment, and the
scrvceof letters The commercial classes, the trading
classes. the aboring classes. generally, were left ont of
tho account The affairs of the community were
committed to gentlemen. not to the people. And as
the people needed no education 10 prepare them for
usefulness in situations they were not permitted to
occupy 80 the gentry on their part needed no educa'
ton 10 prepare them for usefulness IN situations which
they would not occupy if they could. No doubt the
sentiment prevailed that education was bad thing
lor the people something they did not require and
would not know how 10 use. But whether that were
so or not the point unquestonably was TO get suti-
Gent number OF thoroughly trained men to do the
exclusive work demanded by religion and politics.
Arstocratc institutions called for arstocratic sys
tenn Of education, and the system came al call, and
met the eXigency Admirably arranged for It's ends
it was Il presupposed class Of men who had
leisure for long and elaborate study, and could
afford to pay for the best instruction. 1t assumed
the existence of body likely to be so far re-
moved by rank or social position from the
common drudgery Of ordinary life As to be able to
devote themselves TO studies of remote secluded
abstract kind aud to fix their attention on certain
stately standards of literature and Of character whose
distance from everyday existence made them pecu-
liarly impressive to thoughtful minds. 1t took for
granted that balanced, matured disciplined powers
were the product TO be sought, and that immediate
knowledge, practical information, mental furniture
for ordinary working occasions was not so much of
secondary moment as utterly irrelevant, and undesira
bic among the higher orders. Training OF the iaeul
ties the point and such training of the faculties
as was conducive to calm, sober, distracted, con-
ervative exercise Of them under the influence OF ira
dition. II not popular education certainly, Tor
popular education was not contemplated; but II was
severely practical education for the work expected OF
the intellectual classes.
Such an education it Is manifest is wholly I'M
suited 10 our times and people. Our social life is
planted on another basis, and regulated by another
principle The problem with US is. how to educate all
the people for the work they have TO do. No special
business falls on the select few. Religion does not;
government does not; literature does not; the
duct of social existence does not-any work may de-
volve on any man, because all positions are open to
all men, and all work in America is severely practical
in the common usage of the term. All work demands
active faculties ready invention, store of useful in
formation, knowledge of the actual state Of affairs,
and skill to turn it to advantage. Government with
Us is practical business conducted on business prlu'
oipes and best conducted by men Of native ntelli
gence well acquainted with the history OF the country
and tie tendencies Of the popular will. The states
man must be a man of ready expedients, ample CO.
temporaneous knowledge aud strong popular sympa-
thes rather than man versed in antiquity learned
IN presidents and strong in state traditions. Even
| religion, under our voluntary system, is business
best conducted by practical men, that Is, by men OF
keen practical understanding and common sense, IN
full eQmpuucaiGn with tue wants and wishes Of tho