Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-11-19
THE PRACTICAL IN TEACHING
To the Editor cfk Eagle:


Yet no word is SO generally misunder-
stood. Religious enthusiasts might
urge that the japanese could study
nothing more practical than religion,
for what wonld il profit him if he
gained good education and lost his
soul. just where the practical leaves
of and the impractical begins is mat
ter Of speculation.
Some say teach just SO much arith-
metic as the pupil will utilize in after
life in business enterprises. But who
ever had an example in business in
volving the cube root, arithmctical
series, complex fractions, Formulation
and great number of other subjects
with which arithmetics are crowded.
Who ever had to prove in business
that all right angles are equal, or that
any two sides of a triangle are greater
| than the the third side! Who ever had
practical case of finding the weight
Of fish when only the weight of the
head and fraction of the tail are
given! Or how long it will take two
men to do a piece Of work when il
, takes one man three days and the other
two! A practical man Of experience
would be apt to reply that it depends
upon the season Of the year in which
the work is to be done, and The num-
Der of shade trees in the field; and
then the PROBABILITY is that ii will take
both longer than either.
Whose digestion is better for know
ing that his food must be properly
masticated, unsalivated, etc, etc.
Some say practical knowledge of the
classics is just sutliciency for getting
one along smoothly in derivation.
Those who understand the classics best
affirm that Il practical knowledge cna-
bles one To read them at sight, and
nything that comes short of this is
impractical. Each one, it seems, de-
'ermines what is practical from stand
point of his own. the standpoint bein g
such as will enable the individual to
turn a nimble penny.
Should a pupil, on graduating
in our public schools, make
application for position in a
drug store, he would probably be met
with the question, have you studied
chemistry! Oh yes, he replies, upon
which the proprietor pours forth such
an amount of questions rs to utterly
bewilder him. What, retorts the pro-
prietor, YOU want a position in my
drug store and know nothing about
chemicals but theory. | never went
to school and yet | know infinitely.
more about these things ihan you do
never make a mistake i'm compound
Ing medicines. and you don't know a
poison from anything else. You may
talk TO me about bonds of affinity,
anatomy, molecular forces, and that
sort of nonsense. bother my brains
about nothing but the practical. The
trouble with cur schools is they at
tempt 10 teach too much. II they
would narrow the course of studies
and teach chemistry and pharmacy
practically and thoroughly, they would
succeed better.
Not meeting with success here, he
applies for a position in bank and is
asked if he has studied bookkeeping.
bank ing, etc. OF course he has
studied these and is given long col
u'nns of figures 10 add, and other
things in the line of banking 10 do,
and gets through very poorly indeed.
Our clerk. replies the baaker, never
went to school. yet he handles those
subjects better than YOU do. The
trouble with our schools is they at
tempt to teach too much. If they
would teach only a few subjects
and make their pupils experts in
penmanship, commercial arithmetic,
bookkeeping. business forms etc, they
would succeed better. You have stud
led every thing and are fitted for moth
ing, aud thus is he confronted when
ever he applies fer a position.
The idea is current that a pupil, on
completing course of general studies,
ought to executes skillful work i'm any
line of business whatever. but no man
of sense would attempt anything so
extravagant, and because it cannot be
done many would narrow the course
of studies TO the few subjects they
find application for in business life.
No matter how good an education a
person has he stands at the threshold
of his calling a novice, and can be-
come proficient only by long course
of diligent application. A distin-
guished educator makes 4 clear expos
ition of this whole mater. He says:
the primary aim of the academic
schools of science and language is cul-
ture; that of the professional schools
practice. Self is the end of culture:
but selfis the instrument of practice.
The academic training views man him
self as the end, but the professional
raining views man as the means and
he calling as the end or business for
he pursuit of which he is to be fitted.
The academic, or general training, fits
or no line of business in particular,
,ut il furnishes culture rs the condi-
ion of the highest attainment in one
special vocation. The man cultured
las more fullness and strength as
specialist. than the same man uncul-
ured.' III. S. AUSTIN.
Eagle Township, Nov. 10, "a
: AN HONEST MAN is THE NO
BLEST WORK OF GOD"