The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1892-06-22
Ehe NS9erala and 3of05. 8
THE NEED OF INDUSTRIAL TRAIN
ING.
Synopsis Of ths Address Delivered b' Irof.
G. w. WEIGH Before the Prosperity
High School.

associations. The world is active, NOV
ing forward and it becomes TO Us I
prime question to know what we had
best do to keep abreast Of this onward
march. There can be no standing still
either progression or retEogressl"n Is
the order Of existence.
It falls to the lot of few men TO SOW
the seeds of a great idea and live to see
them gcrrlinate, grow, blossom ana
bear fruit. SO in the movement which
YOU have made. You cannot live long
enough to see the full fruitaGe OF your
sowing, but you may even now see
some good accomplished by youreti"rts
in establishing this school. We must
work. having faith. No man finds
anv greater stimulant to cndeavor than
faith is. But along with faith as her
companion goes hope. Faith is the
main-spring Of action, while hope Is
the energy that drives the machlnery.
When as the first principal Of the
Prosperity High School, desired to Sc
lect motto that would stand as bea-
con light for US all, | chose the one TO
which you still cling: "Educalion Is
the Hope of Our Country"
The education to which refer Is
perhaps broader education than many
are accustomed to hold IN mind al the
mention of this word. The teachers 0i
the last generation recognized very
little in man but mind. The teachers
of this generation are beginning to re-
q ize that even the matter that is our
tenement is of 4 higher and finer mould
than the common clay Of your streets.
And they are beginning 70 recognize
also that the mind can do its best only
when the body is ; rOny- The lntei!ec-
tual part of US must no: suffer neglect
the moral part of US must be made as
strong as possible, but the development
of the physical part Of US must be maze
coordinate with the development OF
the other parts. Because sporting char
acters of doubtful reputation have de-
graded the physical development OF
manhood to the base uses of the prize
ring. is no reason for our neglect OF 1t.
But our educaliou must be directive
1t must help the students to determine
their adaptabilities as well as capa-
bilities. When they graduate they
become lawyers, doctors, ministers or
teachers. Why is this? Because the
college course, as we have it, fits boys
for these professional callings better
than it fits them for anything else. 1t
is possible for education to put Imam
out of harmony with certain lines OF
work, and therefore to unfit him for
achieving success in them.
AS all men can not be professional,
educators have come TO realize that
rather than subject twenty different
minds to one course of training, II is
better to give to twenty different minds
twenty different courses Of training.
Since the High Scnool is to prepare
boys and girls for this next higher edu-
cation, to YOU it becomes a question OF
vital importance what is best to be
donesin Academic training. 1t may
be answered that much Of what you
are now doing should be continued,
and that to it should be added what
ever is necessary to fit boys and girls
for successful living.
What are these necessary adJuncts?
shall name one. 1t is manual train
ing, or as we often call it, industrial
education.
The fundamental doctrine of indus
trial education is that the mind and
the body be developed simultaneously,
symmetrically, and harmoniously.
Those who oppose this view OF edu-
cation claim, in the first place that 1t
is not the object OF education in school
to make carpenters, blacksmiths, farm
ers, &c. The advocate ofmanual train
ing replies that to teach a boy how to
use his hands and how to use tools Is
not making him carpenter, but help
ing him to full development primarily,
and secondarily insuring that if he
wishes to be carpenter, he may be-
corle one more easily and with a great
or measure of success.
In the second place they claim that
2 :, is too young to select work OF
lmself or to decide upon his future
vocation. The reply is that b1ys are
not permitted any greater latitude
than under the old system. But it is
claimed that the opportunities are
wider. In the third place they claim
that the course Of study is already too
much crowded. The reply is that much
Of this overcrowded course can be laid
aside, and the industrial department
VII more than take its place.
A boy solves problem in Algebra.
He then puts it on the board. The
first part of this process was mental
discipline. The second part was al
most wholly worthless. Another boy
invents or solves the qucstions-an APP
paratus illustrating some law in Phys
les. He then goes to the workbench
and makes the apparatus. The first
process was mental discipline; the see
ond process was hand, eye, Judgment,
and muscle, training. Who can claim
for the first all the advantages Of the
latter?
The speaker gave his experience in
industrial work during his career as
principal OF the High School Of Ho'lS-
ton, Texas. He showed how Il >cl' ICE
laboratory may be equipped at small
expense by using the Workshop for
making apparatus.