The Portland daily press., 1883-05-02
OUR SCHOOLS.
The Boston Commercial Bulletin on
Hand Education.

The head Of the American youth, male and
female, has been too long educated at the ex-
pense Of the hand. 1t is about time this sort
OF thing should stopif the claim OF the Yankee
that he Is nothing II not practical is to he in
the future anything more than an idle boast
Let II not be understood that what is vulgar
~ known as "book learning" Is to be despised
OF neglected. II ought not to DO and must not
pc; the more OF il the better. But In these
days OF concentration OF wealth and capital, OF
production By great corporations the proper
tion OF those who work for wages is constantly
growing larger. Agricultural independence is
being encroached upon by industrial depen-
aeneet and how 10 use his hand In the coming
battle OF life Is now, more than ever before, be-
eotalng the serious question for every Amer.
lean boy.
:, Industrial or manual education, then, Is des-
lined TO become feature OF the education af-
!orned by our public schools. Geometry and a
Jsek-plane are no more incompatible than that
deightful study and blackboard. Arithmetic
would cease TO BIO stupid II mechanical aduca-
uon enough were sandwiched in between reci-
s .hauons TO enable the boys TO manufacture
that is, make with their hands, aided by pro-
per tools-the conditions Of their problems.
wen text books would BIO doubly interesting IL
SOME OF the scholars would spend time enough
~ printing office to learn how Il was made
ahu Do able TO describe the process Intelligent
There Is not blacksmith shop in the coun-
Wy but should have two or three boys In ID a
part OF the summer vacation II for nothing
more than to consider whether they should like
the business; not carpenter shop but should
tolerate few school boys In IL now and then
that They may learn how 10 drive "a mail cor
recLly; and 30 on throughout the trades Divi-
sion OF labor. which has come with the intro
duction OF machinery, while good and neces-
aary thing. 10 derelict In that II has put nothing
IN the place Of the apprenticeship system
which Il has destroyed.
Let the school and the workshop cooperate
Ia every community IN the country, and the
union Of text books and tools will DO consum.
mated IN surprisingly short time with bene-
iieial results. IL Is not proposed nor ID il de-
sirable TO turn all schools Ia 10 workshops: that
wonid DO as unfortunate as the present state Of
affairs, which ID all books and no tools.
thoughtful men interested In educational
matters are not neglecting these phases Of in
siruetion for youth. In this city the Institute
OF Technology Is not an experiment, il is an
institution. Its methods duly modified are APP
plieable TO country high school, Ii does not
IN the least interfere or obstruet the classical
education which distinguishes the neighboring
university at Cambridge. Its school of Me-
ehanic Arts admits boys as young as fifteen.
Several schools for manual education are al
ready started in New York. st. Louis boasts
OF one OF the hest IN the country. One OF the
most significant sigma of the times is recent
circular OF the Carriage Builders National Ar
ISOLATION which has established in New York a
school for the advancement of technical knowl-
edge among apprentices aud mechanics Of the
carriage trade. Why should not every trade
have like association for a like purpose?