The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1900-09-08

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~ a. very importans forward step IL
~ 9tate's educasional syssen was
- establishment during the present
year Of The new State Industrisi In
stisues. q Lafayette. Il il import
at both for the reason that II makes
large addition to the educational
factors ct the State, and. in parsic-
ulas, because it comes - \ re-
Spouse. generous though long de-
layed. 70 the needs. the wishes and
lie dssesvings Of the people OF that
large and progressive portion Of our
State known - Southwestern Louis
lana.
The movement in education. gen.
orally, during the past few years has
been decidedly toward the practical.
Manual training, trade schools,
schools Of pure science and of tech
nology. and human industry have
been Get up schools for each partic-
ular form Of and are beginning to
show results. These results have
proved beyond much doubt that it
IL the business Of the schools not
only TO teach theory outlined in the
text books, but to bring students
into touch with practical knowledge
that 10 gained only by doing. It
has not by any means been shown
that the former teaching was not
and 10 not both valusble and neces-
sary; with onlv the exception Of
Greek and Latin, and . few excep-
irons in certain branches of science.
all the old studies remain in the
curriculum of every school that ex-
pects to give anything At ali of =
general culture. But it is settled
that no course of general studies is
rounded and complete that does not
provide for the exercise Of the whole
boy-both his hand and his brain.
The first step toward making ap-
plication of the idea of doing in the
work of education in this State was
in the organization of the Agricul-
tural and Mechanical College in
conjunction with the Louisiana
State University. This was followed
by the Tulane Manual Training
school which has developed into the
present College of Technology OF
Tulane University. Later, in 1894,
an Act of the Legislature was passed
establishing the Louisiana Indus
trial Institute ut Ruston, La. And
by similar act in 1898 was passed
the Southwestern Louisiana Indus
trial Institute now being organized
IN LAFAYETTE. Each Of these insti-
buttons present an example of the
union between theory and practice
between thinking and doing-in
educational work; the two colleges
making the application of this idea
in the field of higher education,
while the two industri al schools ap-
ply it on the plane of secondary
education. And in the logical
course OF the extension OF THIS lOc0s
it will follow here, as has already
been the case in the schools of the
north and east, that manual train
ing will be included in the course
of the elementary schools.
The name industrial Institute is
not to be interpreted as signifyine
q trade SCHOOL, school devoted
merely to the work of making ar
tisans more sklllful in the practice
of their trades. That is q good
work for a school to do-to teach
men to be timers, wheelwrights,
watchmakers and all kinds of handi-
craftsmen-but the state of second
aiy elementary education in on
State makes it plain that the work
before our Industrial Institute is
not primarily the teaching of trades
to artisans, but it is the giving OF
solid and practical instruction and
exercise to mind and body of boys
and girls. There should be manual
training and ample opportunity fol-
ew>1rseH in the more ordinary useful