The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-07-07
THE SCHOOL OF MANUAL TRAIN
ING IN OHIO.

ING IN OHIO.
The recent opening Of the Toledo
manual training school is Of much
nor importance to the public school
system Of OHIO than the mere form
al exercises would Indicate. 1t is not
alone the largeN institution of the
kind in the county, but it is the
pioneer of/public sentiment in the
direction Of practical instruction and
should be patterned after by the
leading cities Of the country.
The public school system Of the
Union is producing n of two re-
suits upon the children of the masses
of the people: They either abandon
their studies at an early age and seek
work in unskilled channels or they
go through the prescribed course
and become b~Ookkeepers, clerks,
lawyers or doctors. For want of a
practical goal set before these youths,
one that they can see is directly re-
lated to their probable future in life,
a large majority abandon at an early
age the opportunities of education,
while the small minority who re-
main, seek occupations already full
to repletion. Here is not only a
great individual loss, but a serious
loss to the community in the misdi-
rection Of SO much valuable energy,
which rightly directed would be the
source Of so much prosperity and
general welfare.
The foremost educators of the
country have long considered how
to adapt education so that it will
exalt and dignity labor and fit one
to earn an honorable livelihood. I'm
der this growing pressure many
have established scientific courses of
study, and several have opened spe-
ciaI studies in various departments
of modern science. But until put in
operation in this new manual train
i~ng-school of Toledo the masses of
the people, for whom the public
school system is maintained, have
received but little benefit in this di-
rection. The educational interests
of the State of Ohio, and especially
a number of the leading citizens Of
Toledo, have felt for some years
that the emergencies of society were
not fully met by the public school
system, and much of the criticism
touching the common schools of the
State arose from a consciousness
that the best interests Of the youths
were not fully conserved by the
method of instruction. When nearly
fifty per cent. of the entire enrol
ment of school children are found in
the primary grades, and but two per
cent. of the whole enrolment are
found in the high school, it is evil
dent that something is wanting IN
our system of education; and when
it is further seen that our high
school instruction has constant ten
dency to lift boys out of the ranks OF
dignifed labor into the over-crowded
ranks of mercantile, clerical and pro-
fessional life, it is difficult to avoid
the conclusion that the present meth
DDS do not fully meet the demands
of modern society.
The Toledo philantropists there
fore resolved to prove that the great
prizes of life no longer lie in the
liberal professions, but in the me-
chanic, and through the bequest of
Jessup w. Scott they have reared
an institution which will place To
lcdo as the chief center of mechani-
cal education in the country, and
when this system is adopted, as it
must be by Springfield, Pittsfeld
and other cities Of Massachusetts,,
the State will maintain her front
rank in the education of the world.
The course of instruction covers
three years. The pupils must be at
least II years of age. The school is
about equally divided between men
tai and manual exercises. One hour
per day is given to drawing, two
hours to shopwork, and three hours
to study and recitation.-Iotedo he
o.,hTooo