The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-02
INDUSTRIAL TRAINING.
Prof. Frank A. Nanny Addresses the
Local Council.

AT the regular meeting of the Local Coun-
Gil of Women yesterday Prof. Frank A.
Nanny gave an interesting talk on indus
trial training in the public schools, from the
kindergarten to the high-school grades.
Professor Nanny illustrated his talk with a
varied number of articles which the chill
dren in schools Nos 80 and SO have made.
BY the natural revolution in the life of to-
day. the industrial training has been forced
out of the homes and the schools have
taken it up. The first thought in this part
of the education is the activity of the child
Mr. Nanny told of a boy loose morally and
physically, who had entered one of the
schools last November. The teachers had
assisted him to the best of their ability in
the matter of woodworking, and to-day
there is wonderful Improvement in the
boy. In the education of the children, two
questions, he thought arose. One was how
to get the most meaning out of life and
the other how to get living. To get the
most out of child, one must know its con-
structive powers Mr.. Nanny believes in
the great value of the three RS, but in the
work of drill in the schools he thinks there
is too much time unaVodably wasted which
could be better used. He also believes in
children having definite duties at home.
While the street gamin is premature in his
contact with the world, the child in the
home without duties is apt to be diffuse.
Industrial training he believes to be
panacea for the evil of bad boys. It would
not settle all questions, but it would assist.
The tendency to specialization he does not
consider wise, and cited the instance of a
firm desiring a young man with general
knowledge. The boy was hard to find
There is need for trade schools, but there
a man to adapt himself to general work
Through the several lines of industrial
training, as given in the public schools,
that of woodworking, for instance teaches
more than the mere manual work 1t in
StructS for architecture, furniture and the
esthetic side of the work; sewing teaches
the problem OF clothing, and cooking that
OF toods. In regard to sex in this training,
Mr. NANNY believes il is well for boys to
know how to cook and to sew, in the lines
or domestic economy. A boy should know
now TO keep his own clothes in order. Out
or nfty-hVe boys who were questioned,
forty expressed a desire to learn how to
sew and cook. In a school in Chicago the
best cook was a boy and the best wood
worker was girl. The work done in the
pubic schools is with paper, clay, whiting,
carpentry, sewing, lumber, cooking and
forging, in their order of difficulty. A lack
OF supervisors does not allow for such in
dividual work as might be desirable. In
the industrial training there are definite,
clear results, that are better understood by
the pupil and by the teacher In the matter
Oh chlluren eatlng cold lunche0nS in the
schools, Mr.. Nanny said he wished there
might be some arrangement for such chill
dren to have something warm. In one
school the janitor takes such children to the
basement, where there is an earth floor,
and they become merry and enjoy the place.
Mr. Nanny showed a quilt which was de-
signed and made by the pupils of the 2B
and "a grades at No. 81. 1t is to be given
to the hospital The children at one school
made their apparatus for the gymnasium.
A thimble party is to be given at No. 80 to-
morrow afternoon, to which the fathers and
mothers are invited.
The speaker received a rising vote of
thanks for his talk. Preceding the talk the
business session was held. The Aftermath
Club and the Ladies Aid Society of the
Tabernacle Church were admitted to mem
bership. AT the April meeting an informal
ballot will be taken for officers. Considera-
ton Of changes in the constitution will also
be had at the April meeting.