Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-19
Industrial Schools Again.

The interest in industrial education is
evidently increasing day by day, and the
opposition is rapidly dying out. Schools
of technology are extensive and expen-
slve institutions, and OF course it is not
expected that they Will be established in
the near future in every city and town.
Industrial or manual training schools,
however, are comparatively inexpensive,
and they must be sooner or later estab-
lished in connection with most reputable
institutions OF learning in the country.
The great difficulty in the way of estab-
fishing these schools just now is the diff
Guilty in finding properly qualified in
structors. There are thousands of good
teachers in the country, and thousands
OF men well skilled in the different trades
and arts, but there are evidently very
few who possess that combination of
knowledge and skill and tact that goes to
make successful teacher and trainer.
1t can hardly be expected that manual
labor schools will in the near future be
able to make the youth of the country
skillful artisans or mechanics. These
schools must at first be so constituted as
to enlarge the technical knowledge, ex-
pand the perceptive faculties and I'M
prove the minds OF the pupils. There are
many commonplace things concerning
which even people who are considered in
telligent are ignorant, and which every
one, even ladies and children, ought to
know.
Eventually, no doubt, the majority of
eE will ho
graduates of industrial and archaeological
schools. There is no probability that the
apprenticeship system can be done away
with until the industrial school system
shall be firmly established and developed
to a considerable degree OF perfection.
The efforts now being made by
! the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road to perfect the manual training school
system is highly commendable and should
be watched with interest by thinking peo-
pie in every part of the country. There
is much that is observation-disclosures
brutal-In the old apprenticeship sys-
tenn. 1t cannot be denied that it
very often tends to dwarf and dstort the
mind, to spoil the temper, and destroy the
manhood of it's victims. The education
OF the mind, the hand-the whole body In
fact-and the heart should be simulta-
neous in order to bring boys and girls to
that state OF symmetrical development as
men and women which nature entities
them to attain TO, and which 1t ought to
be the desire OF every one to enjoy.
II is said that industrial schools will
turn out upon the country an army OF
Observation-Disclosures. Perhaps they will
have a tendency to do that at first, and
yet il is answered that the best workmen
al special trades are to he found in those
sections where such handy workmen
are most numerous. In thinly set
tied sections such men are not only use
full but indispensable.
In these days OF labor troubles there are
tens of thousands OF workmen who would
be infinitely better of il they possessed
two or three trades, and smattering of
agricultural knowledge besides.
Industrial schools, however, are COM
ing. and they are coming to stay. 1t be-
hooves us then TO make them serve TO
confer the greatest possible benefit on
the greatest number Of children and
youths.