The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-08-04
PRACTICAL EDUCATION.
A Strong Plea for Manual Training
Classes in Public Schools.

A Strong Plea for Manual Training
Classes in Public Schools.
It is a frequent reply of the sup
porters of the head-cramming system
of common school instruction, to the
advocates of manual training, that the
community 'should not pay for tech
nical trades" No one has proposed
that it should. The idea is to fit chill.
dren to learn trades as a preparation for
their life work, just as other children
are prepared to take a classical course
preliminary to the study of a profess
sion. 1t is argued, and rightly, that
the State or the city has as much right,
and is as much in duty bound, to teach
boy to use his hands as to teach him
to use his wits. A hammer, saw, draw.
ing-board and lathe are to the mass OF
boys what Greek roots and Latin verbs
are to the selected few. All are tools
with which they are expected to work
their way to further knowledge. And,
if the community gives the necessary
primary and secondary training to the
small class, it certainly may and should
do so to the larger one.
The beneficial effects of the pract;cal
training were brought out in the report
of the president Of Girard College at the
anniversary celebration in Philadelphia
the other day. In the will of the founder
of the institution it was provided that
the scholars should be bound out, at
graduation, ''to suitable occupations,
as those of agriculture, navigation, arts,
mechanical trades and manufactures,
according to the capacities and acquire
ments of the scholars respectively, con-
suiting, as far as prudence shall justify,
in the inclinations of the several schol-
ars as to the occupation, art or trade to
be learned" For a time the officers OF
the college were able to procure places
for the boys where they might extend
their education according to this wise
provision. But the gradual decay OF
the apprenticeship system soon made
this impossible, and the trustees were
obliged to keep the boys until they were
eighteen, and then cancel their indent-
ures. A short time ago, however,
the trustees decided to establish a
Misunderstanding school in connection
with the college. and the fund at their
disposal enabled them to carry out the
plan with an ample equipment. .The
boys are now taught the use of TOOLS"
says the Philadelphia Record, "and are
given instruction in the mechanic arts
of character which can not be excelled
in any workshop" As result of this
wise measure, the demand on the trus-
tees for apprentices exceeds the supply.
Being skilled in the use of tools, and
with their natural aptitude for work dis
covered and developed, they are ready
to begin at once to learn the art or trade
without the preliminary loss of time and
material involved in trying to instruct
youth who know nothing whatever
about the work they undertake to do.
A knowledge Of the hight Of noun
tains in South America, or the
length of rivers in Africa, or facility
in solving the useless prize puzzles
Of grammar and arithmetic is Of small
practical use when boy sets out to
do things that require trained hand
and eye, sound Judgment, and knowl-
edge of material things among which
his life is to be spent, A healthful
tendency, which is the direct result Of
this training, was also noted by Presi-
dent Fetterolf (avery appropriate name,
by the way, for one who is engaged in
iberating education from the letters OF
tradition). he said that whereas for
merly the boys preferred clerkships and
other eight occupations to arts or
trades, which they could only learn at a
great disadvantage, since the establish.
ment Of the technical school there has
been reversal of the former order OF
things, and the boys are glad to learn
something which will give them start
in some one of the great producing in.
dustries of the country. Their prelim.
mary training secures for them prefer.
ence for employment. It is time that
manual training should be made part
of our common school education