The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-09-25
INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION.
Its Value and Character in Our
Public Schools.

(By w. W. Barnett.)

| upon its citizenship the dignity OF labor.
The world owes no man living. 1t owes
him living who will earn it by mental or
manual labor. All plhise be to the man
who labois with his hands. Praise, too.
| for the one who does mental labor The
chief preparation OF the public schools in
| thls country when followed to its conclu-
sion fits the pupil for mental labor only.
| Tne time has come for some consideration
| to be given 10 manual training
There As a rush lur wl,.t are considered
| easy obs on the part OF young lnen wnhe
| youAs women learn oGi litt.e "a those dfts
| wniou FURNISH the conditions LII ua.'p!
home. men they are calieu upon 10 pre-
siue over home OF Lneir own tneif tfst
enorts at mouse keeping are eXceedinsS
embarrassing. The puo.lc schools by The
Introduction Of manual trimming couid
amellonlte this condition
Tie courses OF study are so arranged as
to consider only one line Of educatlon.
pupil who finishes the null curriculum ge.s
oniy classical education. me great
masses leave school when they reach toe
fourth grade or year. in a report WINCH 4
examined not long since there were ABOUT
coo children in the FIRST grade ana oniy a
little over 200 in the fourth grade " hen
the seventh grade was reached tne mum
Der dwindled to about fifty pupils.
similar state OF affairs exists IN All tne pub
lie schools where some provision IS not
made for holding the pupils.
The cry comes TO us everywhere of the
vast army OF unemployed. Inc professions
are overcrowded. Yet we do not by our
scheme OF education encourage fitness for
any other line of work The student must
either accept classical education or he
must close his career at the public school.
4 his may be a reason why the lonesome boy
graduates with fifteen c. twenty girls in
the high schools OF our country year after
year. Think of N-cties where the schol-
astic population is 10 600 and only half OF
them in school and only about twenty SUI
flciently interested TO climb this eiuca-
ional ladder. There is a solution 20 the
problem. The classical course is COOL.
Give those who wish 1t the opportunity TO
take it, but serve also the great commercial
and industrial world by giving some chance
to prepare for these lines OF work
AS 10 what should be the character OF
the course OF study preparatory for COM
merciAl and Industrial work it is not my
purpose to go very much into details. How
ever, / believe that there should be a de-
partment specially fitted out where stu
dents could do hand work each day. When
q boy cnn learn how to handle tools with
some degree of skill so that he might en-
edge and soon become proficient, u great
service will have been rendered. This
work should be Of such a character that the
graduate would not have TO serve as an ap-
prentice at all.
Give the boys chance to handle and
study simple machinery. Let them use the
turning lathe, the plane, the saw, the ham,
mer. Let them learn how 10 sharpen tools
II such work as this were done there is no
reason why every public school N Houston
should be without book cases supplied by
the pupils from the manual training dspart-
ment. Let mechanical drawing be taught
elong with this 80 that the pupils may learn
the principles Of architecture.
A few hours day spent In this kind OF
work will give the pupil a relish for his
books when he takes them up
There should be department fitted out
where the girls might learn something
about cooking. The art OF baking and cook
| ing the different kinds Of food ought 10 be
taught. | believe in the study Of science.
especially the study of science which is so
| eminently practical. In many Of our schools
girls fritter away their { me on Newton's
law OF gravitation, the uniaatory theory Of
| Light. the nervous system OF frog while
! they could not bake a biscuit that the
stomach OF an ostrich could digest.
| But this is not all. Needle work should
| form a part Of this course in manual train
| ing for girls In Mexico the girls all re-
| ceive training in needle work. They be-
come most expert. The drawn work OF
Mexican women Is not surpassed for its
beauty OF design anywhere in the world.
PRECEDENT Diaz saws that no young lady
should be permitted 10 graduate who is not
a skilful needle worker. The art OF cutting
and fitting should be taught along with this
| line OF work. The public schools are to lit
one for citizenship They ought 10 III one
| for useful citizenship.
To prepare for the commercial world
| there should be an opportunity. The study
| II bookkeeping. typewrting and stenog-
ranhy should have place. knowledge
| OF these useful arts Is necessary to sue
| ce~sful business career. The use OF the
typewriter is an immense help in the study
| NJ the English language. In connection
with this course Spanish should be taught.
There will be work in the future for stu
dents who know Spanish. When peace ne
go,lations are finally settled there WI be
| a demsnd IN Cuba and Porto Rico for men
| OF brains who can sneak the Spanish Ian
rrage believe that in the near future
| fhera will re more attention given 10 IN
! dustral aud commercial education-