St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-02-28

1t has been suggested that the schools
of the country could be improved by
the addition of instruction in the vari-
ons kinds of handicraft by which men
are enabled to win bread in the battle
of life. 1t begins to dawn on the minds
of those who take time to consider
matters of this kind, that the rising
generation, while being better educated
in matters and things pertaining to
school life than its predecessors, is still
| lacking in a knowledge of how to ad-
vantageously make living in case OF
failure in the professional and higher
walks of life which inevitably comes
to great majority of the graduates ot
our schools and academies. Whether
the place to instruct youth in the me-
chanical arts is in the public schools
may be question, but that many of
! them would be infinitely better off with
certain amount of instruction in this
line is beyond doubt.
For years the tendency has been to
drift away from all industrial educa-
ton, at home or in the school, and to
occupy all the years of school life in
examining boys with surplus of what
is commonly termed book learning
The result is that the country is full of
young men trying to crowd their way
up in fields that are already over
crowded, and in many cases not be-
cause they are over-ambitiOus to shine
as great lights, nor because they are
unwilling to work in other lines, as
they are so often accused of being, but
simply for the reason that they do not
know how to do anything else, and
this through no fault of their own.
Their lives have been spent in acquir-
ing an education that fits them for
business or professional life only, and
then because all cannot find room in
the field that has been mapped out for
them, the unsuccessful ones are con
demned as unwilling to work because
they do not apply themselves to Il kind
of work of which they know absolutely
nothing. This condition of things is
wrong, and the question is worthy the
attention of our educators and all who
have the welfare of the people at heart
The country cannot afford to ignore
the fact and go on swelling the ranks
of educated but helpless men.
The people need lawyers, minister!
and statesmen; they also need carpen
tiers, blacksmiths and masons: but il
its educational system the country en-
tirely ignores the latter fact and lend
its whole energy to supplying you'll
with an education, which if it fails t,
leaves the possessor bankrupt. 1t i
this fact which has been too often an,
- painfully demonstrated, that is rOusin:
some of the leading minds of the tim,
to the question of reform in this mat
ter. Whether the reform is to b,
brought about by remOdeling of til,
: public school system or in some othe
way is a question to be determined
that it has got to come is an established
- fact.
Nature produces men with natura
qualification to fill the various walk
in life and it is useless and wrong 70
art to step in and attempt to turn al
8, Ia, II
channel. There are many boys wh'
! desire, and would be better off with
mechanical education than with an,
~. other, and where is the justice of tax
g ing the people to support the one Will
f the other is totally ignored q? TIL
- more this question is agitated, TIL
- palmer it will be seen that the presen
educational system, while in. many re
y spects Il thing to be proud of, still fall
!, short of perfection. The time is comm
when the justice of expanding the pub
lie money in attempting to drill muSi
q and mathematics into the heads {
= those who are designed by nature t
WELD the tools of the artisan will b
4, questioned.
Education is claimed to be the safe
guard of the nation, and it it is ; bu
= till it is so shaped as to supply til
needed education to the varied mate
n rial awaiting its benefits it will ia
short of its full mission and be respol
u sible for many a failure in life. I'll
people are ready to hear from tho'
who can tell why one mans son shoul
be fitted for the law or the ministry
af public expense while his neighbours
denied any assistance in devrlOpiI
=, skill at the bench or the anvil Hoos;
- Valley News.
Earring "A Rat.