The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-02-12
The Co.Educational Idca.

To the Editor ofshe Ne'os and Courier ::
The proposal of Mrs. S. F. Chaplin to
make the Industrial School for Girls an
annex to Clemson College seems to be
one of those happy suggestions that are
30 eminently wise that the wonder is
that they have not been thought Of
before.
Clemson College is to be pre-eminently
practical college established and
supported in the interest of industrial
enterprise. It will include in its course
practical chemistry, industrial drawing,
typewriting, stenography, photography,
the use of tools in woodworking and
many other subjects that have bearing
upon the industries of women az we'll as
those of men. Then why not extend the
course little, so as to include practical
cooking-and dressmaking, and so give
the daue ,ers of the State, at a small
additional st, the benefit of these ex-
penoive advantages that are being pre-.
pared for the young men?
Furthermore, there is strong feeling
in some quarters Of the State that the
experiment. of co.education ought to Be
fairly tried, or, at least, that's a woman's
annex to a collegiate institution for males
is one of the best ways to provide for the
education of women. Here is most
auspicious opportunity to make this ex-
pertinent at small additional outlay,
and without any of those complications
that are liable to arise in an institution
that has existed for years on different
basis.
It's to be hoped that the commission
to be appointed by the Governor to
examine this question will give this sug-
gestion from Mrs. Chaplin the attention
which its importance demands.
But there is another reason why the
proposal seems wise aud timely. 1t has
been proposed to make the industrial
school an adjunct to State Normal In
stitution. The aim Of an industrial
school is to help the students themselves
by rendering them self.supporting. The
aim of q normal schools to build up the
public schools of the State. The person.
al advantage accruing to its own students
is never the primary consideration. The
two aims, though not necessarily opposed
to each other, are not strictly harmoni.
GUS, and might cause complications that
would prove q weakness to one side OF to
the other.
Every good normal school includes in
its course some elements ofmsnual train
ing. The Importance of requiring the
brain to End expression through the
hand ia fully recognized to-day in the
teaching profession. Manual features
are more and more finding their way into
the work of the public schools,
and the normal school must pro-
vide for this demand of tho lover schools.
But the manual training department of a
true normal school courssi il adjusted to
meet the requirements OF a symmetrical
general education, rather than to give
the knowledge of all those technicalitiea
that are needed to give success in specific
trades The teaching of trades for the
purpose ofrcndozing the student self.sup.
porting belongs not to tbs public schools,
nor to tho norma! school especially, but
to the archaeological Institutions.
Ia not this one Of the most important
reasons for connecting the industrial
training of girls with Clemson College
rather than with a normal school:
The State ofSouth Carolina wishes to
provide for the young ladies of the State
opportunities for these two kinds of edu.
cation. There is already one institution
in each of these lines, supported partly
by the State. What could be higno.
wisdom than to continue the work just as
it has been begun, and build up Clemson
College as centre for al! industrial arts,
aud to build up good normal institution
whose ono aim and purpose shall be tc
bring to the highest efficiency Che public
school system ftho Stata.