Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-19
Industrial Education and the
Public Schools.
Public Education Inclined to
Be Too One-Sided.
Skilled Hands as Necessary as Well
Developed Brains.
Mrs, Wills and Mrs. Parsons Plan
New School For Los Angeles
Children.

For years past the press OF the coun-
try has teemed, at times, with articles
claiming that school education untitled
boys and girls for the practical duties Of
life. The cry has been: "We want
practical men and women"
In seeking for something to supply
this ''long felt-felt want" industrial
education was at last fixed upon. In
dustrial education is OF so recent intro
duction that it is quite commonly mis-
unders iood, both as to its methods and
objects. 1t does not propose to take the
place of any regular study, but to sup
plement the regular course. 1t does not
aim to turn out a lot of boys who are
skilled workers in wood or iron, or a lot
Of girls qualified for positions as cooks
or dressmakers. 1t does propose to
educate fingers to skill in handling
other tools than the pencil and pen; to
turn out active hands, steady nerves
and muscles used to exercise as we'll as
active brain and well-flled heads.
City after city in the East has taken
up manual training, at first as an exper-
iment; then boldly as valuable adjunct
of the public school, until at last it is
proposed to start few experimental
classes here, prove their usefulness, then
induce the Board of Education to take
the matter up.
A paper was read upon the subject of
manual training few weeks ago before
the Friday morning club, which at
tracted much attention, and as usual the
ladies are at the bottom of this plan for
tue benefit of Los Angeles children.
In other cities the plan has been to
teach the boys to work at the forge, to
do wood carving and carpenter
work. The girls are taught wood carv-
ing, designing, and sometimes modelling.
Mechanical drawing is sometimes made
a part of the work of the boys and cook
cry and needle work are taught the
girls.
1t has been found that, especially in
the case of boys, the lessons can be as
long and as numerous as are studied
where no time is deducted for the in
dustrial training, and they will be better
prepared than without the exercise af-
forded to muscles in the time devoted to
manual training, SO that it can certainly
not be regarded as detrimental to the
usual course of study.
The classes that will be opened in this
city are to be, like the schools, free to
the school children.
This plan as proposed by the Los An
geles ladies does not contemplate classes
for boys just at present, as the financial
condition OF the society having the mat
ter in charge will not permit too great
expense at the outset. Glasses for girls,
however, will be started at the COM
mencement of the school year, where
they will be taught cookery
and plain dressmaking by efficient
teachers. Two rooms are to be fitted
up with all the necessary outfit for the
classes, and each class will be in ses-
sion a short time every day.
The details of the plan are not fully
arranged as vet, but the ladies interested
are active and energetic, and are fully
acquainted with the methods in vogue
in other cities, and will attempt to avoid
the errors and mistakes of other places.
The classes will be conducted year,
then, if they are successful, an attempt |
will be made to induce the board of
education to introduce them upon a
larger and more effective scale and add
a department for boys.
The two ladies who have been most |
energetic and persistent in their efforts
to secure the starting of this school are
Mrs. DR.. Wills and Mrs. G. t. Parsons.
Miss Kelso has been interested in the |
plan, and has furnished much literature
and quantities of statistics for use IN
converting doubters into the society
which has been formed to stand back of |
the scheme with money and influence.
The personnel Of the society is un-
known to the HERALD. The school re-
porter has heard of the plans in numer-
GUS quarters, and elsewhere the names
of Mrs. Wills and Mrs. Parsons were
definitely mentioned and numerous
others not so definitely
A full list of the members was prom
ised, but the reporter has been unable
to see either Mrs. Parsons or Mrs. Wills
for the past two days, SO they will have
to be printed later. 1t is sufficient to |
say that the society is composed of
many OF the wealthiest and most infu-
= r IS