The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-03-05
BOYS START In LIFE
SCHOOL TRAINING SHOULD DEVEL-
OF WHAT HE SHOULD ELECT
TO FOLLOW
INDUSTRIAL TRAINING HELPS
menlatlOns Made. by Him at the
Regular Meeting of the BOARD
Graduates From High Schools
Frequently Have No Notion Of
What They Desire to Follow.

|
Graduates From High Schools
Frequently Have No Notion of
What They Desire to Follow.
| Supt. Smith said to a reporter of The
u o b e yesterday. referring to the
recommendations upon industrial train
ing made by him at the regular meet
ing of the board Of school inspectors on
last Wednesday. II have long been in
terested in this question. In my annual
report to the board of education in
Springfield. ILL.,. In 1887, 1 called special
attention to the growing necessity for
full consideration of this subject and
urged that the citizens so interest
themselves in the matter that when the
pupils left school they would find some
useful employment for which their
training in the school had prepared
| them.
Boys often realize that they cannot
| go beyond the eighth grade. and indeed
with many of them it is no easy matter
to go so far. and when they have com
pleted that they look about for a Job
| or try to. find something to do. They
| have no idea what they are capable of
doing or what they should do, and will
| ingly accept anything that may offer.
Undoubtedly there is great loss in this
which can be prevented IL both the
| school authorities and the citizens, Of
| the community cooperate with each
| other.
| I'm the old world. the conditions that
will surround the individual when he
| leaves school are inevitable and can
not be changed except by removal to
| some distant colony. or other country.
where there are openings; and so we
| find in all communities q definite idea
| nd as n the 0HC11BQti0HS OF
| the rising generation. and this is car
| ried SO far that the greatest possible
| economic advantages are thereby Sc
| cured. 1t is not SO in this country.
| Heretofore our young people nave by
no means felt that they were to be
were educated. They have felt that
beyond. in the South or in the West.
| somewhere, were opportunities await
ing the earnest and capable that open
| ed the way to usefulness and pros
| perity, and a strong unrest has charac-
| teriSed all classes in America. and re-
sources have been SO beundiess and re-
| turns so certain that the fnducement
| held out TO enterpr4sing youths has
| been very strong indeed. But aside
| from the fact that this course Is not
soundly economic the time has come
when these opportunities no longer as
sure golden harvests. The more be-
yond has been misleading motto Tor
many and the restless wave OF human
ity is returning upon itself. and the
| feeling is growing stronger that each
community must take care OF and de-
pend upon it's own people
| This idea Is taking practical shape
in the encouragement Of nome manu-
facturers, in the employment OF home
laborers and the election of teachers
| who reside in the city, and this state
of affairs is likely to intensity rather
| than to relax. It is, very plain that,
If all communities pursue this poHcy;
the Individual has nothing to gain and
everything Ito -slose by; attempting to
change his residence we are new
| tabIy settling, more and more into the
grooves and channels into which 1ts
| the Industrial condition in the old
! world. Now whether we should or
should not do this, whether we should
accent the situation or resist tent
dencya away from the motives, purT
poses and actions of our people, which
have developed so rapidly and so adj
| vanta geously the wonderful resources
| of the most favored land In the world,
| definite and specific views should be
entertained and certain policies out
| lined and followed in our munic1pai
| life. SO long as the school system Is
regarded as the chief factor in the
work of preparing for citizenship, then
Is a responsibility attaching to IT that
| does not belong to any other publlc
agency and earnestly desire that TINS
should not only be recognized, but that
| an earnest and successful EFFORT De
made to put the schools In the way OF
accomplishing the highest good. rms
| question has been often discussed, and
many admirable views expressed, but
little effect, however, has been pro-
| duced upon courses Of study, and SUI
perintendents and committees OF ten
and committees Of fifteen and various
other committees have gone on making
progressive courses of study that ar
ticulate with others in the college OF
university.
81 have a great deal Of correspond
ence upon this subject which l shall
place before the committee, and am
| very anxious that our business men
should be heard also, and that all wno
are interested should make known the1l
views.
"A man whose son had graduated
from the high school at the head OF
his class once said to me: mat is my
boy fitted for? The man assured me
that he had made great sacrifices tt
keep the boy in school; he did not wish
him to enter a profession: it was not
the boys choice either; he could not
go on to college, and the question was
What next? 1t is this question that
so far as possible, I would have the
school answer by so training the boy
and directing his work that at the
close Of his schooling he would be con
fronted by his opportunity. 1t is, how
ever, most clear that the school can
not do all this, but that the com
munity itself must provide the oppor
tunity for which the boy has f1ttet
! himself
1T was the hope that an under
l standing between those conducting thu
, business interests of st. Paul and thos
conducting. the educational work coult
| be brought about that led me to asl
8 for official recognition OF this impor
tant question. The schools are doins
| a noble work; there is no criticism I'm
nlied or intended. The only question
is whether radical change Of environ
ment does not call for change in tn
!, course of study"