Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-02-10
TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND IN.
DUSTRIAL DRAWING.
A Vigorous Indictment Of Our Edu.
CatiOnal system.

citation. treated or subject OF interest 10 the
general public and at present the best discussed
theme Of general educators. Prof. Smith. who
has successfully introduced into Massachusetts
the system OF the South Kensington technical
and Industrial drawing schools and is Well-ln-
formed on his subject, presents facts ana oHerS
suggest ions that are worthy of more than pass
ing attention. He commenced ms ADDRESS oy
asserting that upon the techblcal hnowIeuge
and skill possessed by a nation depend ltS safe
" its wealth and indirectly It's happiness.
Proceeding. he declared that any scheme or ed
ucaion which does not from Ile dta u MAKE max;
technical knowledge and Skill, at Sucn times
and in such ways as the ages and circumstances
OF the pupils necessitate. is insufficient and i'm
uractfcsl and In dire need of complete reorgan-
natiOD. Yet that happens TO De the case with
every scheme OF public education administered
by CITY or state authorities, in the United
states Of America to-day. For the reason. he
! said, that our schemes Of education have been
found deficient and impractical, the whole sub
Jet of general education is now on its trial be-
fore the public; and il requires no very deep
study, nor wide research among newspapers or
periodicals, or in meetings such as this, to be
convinced that this trial viii be completed. and
a verdict be rendered by the jury. 1t is COM
mon thing TO hear sensible men say, as 1t is also
frequently said in newspapers, that for the
duties OF real life the children in the public
schools are not SO well prepared now as they
were twenty years ago, or even fifty years ago;
though they know more. and it costs more to
teach them. Whilst a Silyer-tOngued orator i'm
Massachusetts, has stated that under the old
district school system, when q boy spent few
weeks in The school in winter and worked the
rest OF the year on the farm, he got better and
more practical education than he can get in the
country to-day. The trouble about such remarks
as these is that they true and that IL is pos
sible for them to be true reflects great glory on
the advancement OF this country in civilization.
aud much diScredit upon public educators and
public education. thus tagging behind the pro-
greSS and failing 70 supply the educational needs
OF the country. For the true Interpretation OF
such statements is that during fifty or twenty
years past the country has advanced faster than
its SchOOl-roOm education. and instead of re-
quTing for its citizens nOwthe standard of edu-
cation which was sufficient then, il needs
something more III harmony with the educa-
tiOnal standard OF older countries and that is
something 1t does not now possess. That the
farmers boy should be fitted By "a few montnS
Of book learning aud many months OF technical
training to become a good farmer is the best
possible argument for technical education OF
another kind. TO TT vast ma Grity of the peOple
for practical life who will never become farm
eTS. For, let it be seen that the school room
instruction represented the boys GeaercE educa-
ton and the farm labor his technical education
II VIII be noted that he was preparing for prac-
teal lIfe In one vocation from the Tine his elu-
cation commenced. But IL has pleased the
supreme powers that in the development and
consolidation or this country we should not all
become or remain farmers. The products Of
tEt soil are the raw materials OF the Industrial
arts. and it takes more people to convert those
raw materials into useful objects for civilized
community than it does to produce the original
materials nom which the objects are made
we are changing our occupations from being
largely agricultural 10 manufactrinr and have
thus ou grown the educational facilities which
may have been ample for the youth OF this m.
ton In tie days that are past, but are 30 no
longer.
BEFECTS OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF rnr-c.TTox
ii i from this cause that we are Justified in
describing our present education as deficient
lndSinllch aS it makes no ample provision Tor
ne technical knoWledge and skill required in
Che occupations of a vast ma iority Of the ne0-
pie, engaged IN trades and manufactures The
literary part or our education has not retro
graded but advanced. until il mODoDnlisps an
the precious tine OF youth, ana the trades and
manufactures in which 50 many nave to be en-
pl0y ed are ignored in our schemes of education
eft nigh and dry without aid or comfort until
Tie name or The native born American mechanic
Is synonym for want Of SKILL and his work for
something that will not last There are exCap-
IONS 10 this rule as to every rule, as in our me
chahlcal IaoOr saving inventions. but where Ii
Is not true, we shall ind that men have become
tasteful or Silful i'll spite OF their lack of oDpOr
tunltles; and not by means of the opportunities
which their education should have given them
II seemed TO him that the true remedy is In
introduce the elements OF industrial skill iDi0
every grade OF the public schools in such a
manner manner that II VIII assist, and not obstruct
general education; and then, when the bOy
leaves The grammar school TO begin his wage
earning life, we should provide technical
schools OF art and science, where, during his
evenings, ne can learn the theory and improve
Id tie practice OF his daily work This is the
only way the mechanic can be reached and il
Is the way he is now being reached in all the
skilled countries OF Europe He has to sllDp0rt
himself during the interval between IL or Il
Years old and go years old. and If we offer tech
meal education 10 him in day schools only, in
Ih INA period when he must be at work; and can
hol therefore avail himself OF it. we offer il only
10 the children OF the wealthy, in the name OF
thc mechanic. There are agencies enOugh
ALREADY Tor the education OF professional men
ana lhelr future employment Will nav for any
investment Which their parents NAV make in
Their education. What IS now wanted is that
ne mass OF the people should be educated. and
that tho most neSlccteq o, Ca tne mechanics !
should have far chance given TO them out OF |
the public funds, OF which they are the princi- |
pal producers.
Returns FOR SEVENTY MILLIONS OF !
SCHOOL FUNDS.
After referring TO the general demand for
in expenditures which involve !
taxation, Prof. Smith proceeded TO say that in
the eastern. middle. and western states there
was expended last year the sum OF about
vast sum expended for. what were the results !
aimed at. and what did the public get for its !
money" These are practical common sense |
duest ,ons; me people who are tOiling with !
lhelr ueaqS or their bands, and who in these !
distressed times are straining their utmost To /
make both ends meet, surely have right in !
lace or such heavy taxation, TO ask. what il is /
all for, and see il they are really getting their
moneys wQft.n IuT It. !
What Is understood by education, and partic- /
tllarly by public education? The answer that !
would come 10 such question. especially IRON /
the states TO which he referred. which have |
taxed themselves 10000 600 for its support the |
last year, would be, that education IS the fttiRg
OF youth fCT the occupations IF adUH ne, and The /
duties Of good citizenship, and ii seemed to him
that we should have in such an answer one that |
practically covers the whole question: and vet
simple as this answer is. Self-eVident indeed !
as II appears, he observed in the discussion now
going forward that il is extremely difficIlt for !
educators 10 defend the present system of riu !
cation, particularly against the charge OF its |
want OF practical character, i'll any way thai |
commepdS Itself to the common mind by itS
eYn,i.iitiIneSS and clearneSS.
GATHERING GENERALITIES AND FINE PHRASES
He was aware that very many eloquent and
scholarly essays have been written in behalf of
the present system, but the discussion has
been so clouded by the use of indefinite phrase )
such as 1.-The developing of the mental and moral
faculties of youth, 1.-The broadening of the in
tellectual powers" and other gIttering gener-
alitieS OF this sort; whilst the virtues OF such
vague processes as disciplinary studies and cut
tuTe studies are also enlarged upon BY such
treatment the direct and simple object of edu-
cation has become envelOped In all cSthetic mist
OF fire phrases, to such an extent that IL appears
TO plain and honest minded folks as decidedly
TOO much set up In character and as hardly be-
longing TO the tOlling masses Consequently IL
is being vigorously attacked for its apparent
undue eXpenSiyeneSS on the other.
WHAT IS PRACTICAL EDUCATION?
Believing that il Is the first duty of educators