Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-05-03
MANUAL TRAINING.
The Subject up for Discussion by the
school Superintendents

school Superintendent.
The superintendent Round Table
met in the Office Of Superintendent An
derSon last night, those present being
MeSSeS Merit. Jones. Williams, MurriCkt
Ford, Gladding, Anderson and Shields.
The subject of Manual Training being
up for discussion the chair appointed
Misses Merit and Gladding TO favor it,
and Anderson and Jones to oppose ii.
Superintendent Merit said manual
training was in the sphere-that
is. it is the educational craze of the
time Educational crazeS come and
pass away. and while the great majority
Of them fail in the projected
reforms. they cause men TO think. 1t is
claimed that our education of the pres
ent day was not fitting men for their
life work. This claim is not new in
Locks time. He made the assertion
that with few exception but little of the
education then received fitted men to
make living. He said: Manual
training will not begin TO do all that is
claimed for it, but while | put little
faith in it from an educational point OF
view. it will fit our boys and girls TO
make a better training. ! believe the
people who support the schools should
have some choice in selecting their
work. vet | do think many things are
being demanded from the public schools
not belonging to them. This is particu-
larly true of Kindergarten work, which is
merely preventive in social point of
view In many places where the manual
training has been undertaken i'm the prim-
airy grades it has been abandoned. In
the higher grade this is different; there
10 has been success. The cost of these
schools must for time prevent their
establishment in the small towns or the
country
Superintendent Jones was opposed to
il. The object of the teachers work is
mind growth and the knowledge obtain
ed is only incidental. Some manual
training advocates claim that we should
make specialists; others only education
al. Only little over per cent. of the
laborerS of this country are iron
and wood workers. Education
should have a common end and
that end should be mental and moral de-
velopmeut The use of tools is merely
initiative, and that is Il very low order
of discipline. Mr. Gladding said the
mechanical faculties were part of the
child'S mind, and should be trained TO
give a symmetrical education. 1t may
be- we will not get employment, but
those who have it will be more Skillful.
The trades unions at present permit but
few boys TO learn trades, and the me-
chanical skill of the workman is not
anything like as good as formerly. Men
are becoming more and more more tools,
and the remedy must come from the
public schools From experience it
will not be nearly SO difficult as
many of its opponents claim.
One of the greatest elements in the sue
cess of the North over the South was in
mechanical skill. From the rapid
changes i'm progress we can't tell
what year will bring forth i'm the la
Dor world. When mechanical ability
has once been acquired il can easily be
turned i'm any direction.
superintendent Anderson said we
have had many educational crazes TO
pass over this country, referring to the
spelling craze of a few years ago. The
business of the schools should be To fur
nish the raw material The majority
of the pupils of the schools are too
young to become mechanical, and rath-
err careless and ShipShOd system OF labor
would result.
This Smattering OF training will make
botches and tend 10 habits of careless
ness. This thing of playing at work
will give "a wrong estimate of work.
IA. ID. M lL ffr
recently said ne would rather have an
apprentice who was raw material. The
cost would also be much greater. super
intendent Mertz said the successful
business man is not always the highly
educated man. Education comes from
contact with men and things. Manual
training schools are not trade schools.
The only demand is 10 send the whole
boy TO school. Many of our girls will
also have the care of homes and can not
get this training, if not AZ school.
Many of our school children are of
foreign parentagc and come here with
out that home training they should
have. Many of our children are now
drifting along with the current, with
ont any object i'm life. The experience
of all who have had anything to do with
these schools is that they are success.
A general discussion thon enSued,
during which Prof Williams said that
his. experience was that those pupils
who had been trained to habits OF in
dustry were generally most successful.
Superintendent Ford believed that
manual training would do much 10 ena-
bic the children 10 follow that occupa-
ton for which they can best be fitted.
Superintendent Shields thought that
the system would be of greater advan-
tage TO the girls than boys. especially
as they had the care OF homes; and 1t
would materially improve health and
happiness.
Superintendent Murrick thought 1t
was the duty of teachers to avail them
selves of every opportunity TO better the
condition of the child. Their tastes
differed and all did not take to books,
and they can and will take to mechani-
cal work
Superintendent Anderson said during
the general discussion that under favor
able circumstances he would favor Il
school of that kind i'm this city.
All the superintendent are really IN
favor of such a school. but their ideas
differ as to how it should be inaugurated
and carried ON.
SAFES at unhcard of prices for ten
l. So