Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-09-06
WHEREIN 1T FAILS.

WHEREIN 1T FAILS.
The modern educational system has
been Justly criticised as one-sided. II i
said that young man who completes IA
college course is oftener untitled than
iltted 10 grapple with the difficulties OF
life. This criticism, which is to GER
tain extent, at least, just, requires some
system fails We believe il is the lack
OF our higher schools 10 teach and dis
cipline IN the every day affairs of life.
while the student at college is cram
ming his mind with a smattering of the
sciences, of the dead languages, of phil
osophy, the boy who quits with the high
school goes into the mercantile estab-
lishment the factory, or on the farm.
and by the time his college friend has
finished his course. is far IN the lead in
knowledge that pertains to the bread
and butter question.
Again, the college man cribes great
Importance to his college training, gets
his ideas elevated, so to speak, and
goes out into the world expecting to
take II position far in advance and
above his old school-mate who left oil
with the high school, or, perhaps, the
district school. His world for four
years or more has been entirely a diff
ferent one from that which he steps in
to at graduation.
a few, of,encr by chance than merit,
or by the good offices Of some friend,
step into a good position al once, and
OF these perhaps half or more 90 on to
a tolerable success without a great
struggle. But the great majority are
doomed TO years of disappontments
through which some with genuine merit
and with strong power of will finally
achieve success in spite of bad begin
ming. Many others with less stamina
exc out miserable existence in some
clerkship 10 a mercantile house or in
some subordinate government position.
Others, again, become respondent, feel
that their qualities are not appreciated
in the world, and see success only in
fraud and trickery, ally themselves
with some INSCRIPTIONS leader whose
aim is success in politics or the acquire
ment of wealth, without reference to
the honesty or honorablenes, OF the
means and methods used. They may
finally become what the world calls
successful, but at the cost of reputa-
ton for honesty and honor, sometimes
even landing within the prison walls.
And, finally, another class. meeting
with difficulties which their native me-
diocre powers are unable to overcome.
and obstacles which they are unable to
surmount, are driven by failure after
failure to the dismal vale of despond-
ency and perhaps to suicide. This is
dislnal picture, but a true one. Book
learning alone makes one-sided edu-
cation. Our schools and colleges are
turning out too many people who are
looking for soft jobs"-little work
and much play
The true university should be a
world in miniature, a microcosm of
which the great outside world is the
macrocosm. There should be no line
of business industry or professional
pursuit in the world which cannot be
found in the university. 1t should be
literary, philosophic, scientific, profess
sional, commercial, industrial. 1t
should cover everything. There should
be certain requirements of book learn
inc with every course and, on the
other hand, there should be certain in
dustrial requirements in every course.
Education should be many-sided. but
with special training in the direction of
the natural drift or aptitude of each pu-
pills mind and physical organization
The industrial school i in the right di-
rectlon; but it should be so extensive as
to include our whole system in one
grand mutually interdependent system
from the primary and country school to
the university. The question is an all
absorbing one, freighted with the veal
of the republic and the happiness of flu
ture generations. The evils of one
sided education should and must be
corrected.
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