The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-12-06
WILL BE ADOPTED.
Manual Training to Be Added
to the Course.
School Board Votes to Start II Next
Year If it Can Be Done For
$3.50.

| TO dOQ manual cfalu1uS ~ the course
in the public schools next September if
it can be done for not to exceed 81, $50
for the first year. AS there is little or
no doubt that the cost will come with
in the limit fixed, it may safely be set
down that manual training will here
after be done in the Mankato public
schools
The first order of business last nj ght
was the report of the special commit
tee on manual training, read by Supt.
Uline It was as follows:
Mankato, Mimi, Nov. 80, 1901. TO
| the Board of Education: The COM
mittee on manual training has given
careful thought and investigation to
| the subject and are impressed with the
conviction that it will be greatly to
| the advantage of our schools if the
same shall be given place in the cur
riculum thereof. The purpose of the
public school is to develop and train
our children as to fit them to take up
and discharge the duties of life in the
most effective manner, and make of
them useful and helpful citizens. To
| this end attention must be given to the
proper cultivation of all those faculties
and powers which make up the COM
pick nature of the child-the moral,
intellectual and physical Reference
must also be had to the probable vo-
cation which is to be chosen by our
youth. A very large proportion of
them have no thought of becoming
professional men, or of devoting them
selves to scholastic pursuits, but will
spend their lives in the so called
practical industries. Manual train
ing, important to all, will be of ines
Unable value to this great majority
1t will help them to take their place
in the world, and efficiently discharge
the duties which devolve upon them.
There is a widespread and rapidly
growing conviction of the Importance
of this feature of educational work in
any system calculated to produce the
! best and most healthful results. So
far as your committee has been able to
learn, it has strongly commended it.
self to the popular favor, and to the
best Judgment of intelligent educators
wherever it has been tried. 1t seems
to afford at least a partial remedy to
the recognized defects of our present
system of education.
To wisely add this feature to a
school curriculum requires careful
study and preparation. A proper
course of study must be arranged a
suitable equipment must be provided,
and an efficient instructor must be Sc
cured. Time must be given to the
thorough consideration Of these and
other details in order that no mistakes
be made
Your committee would therefore offer
the following resolutions:
1. That course of manual train
ing be added to the curriculum of our
schools at the beginning of the next
school year, i. e., in September, 1909,
provided it can be done at cost of not
more than 81, $50 for the first year.
2. That the superintendent and
committee on schools be instructed to
prepare, and submit to this board at
the regular meeting in May, 1902,
a course of study including manual
training.
3. That the superintendent and
committee on schools be further in
structed to submit to this board at the
May meeting the name of a suitable
person for instructor in the depart
ment of manual training, with the
salary at which his services can be
secured
That during the summer of 1902,
and previous to the opening of the
schools in the fall of that year, suit
, able equipment be provided for the
prosecution Of manual training in our
schools
The committee recommend the
adoption of these resolutions at this
time in order that the question, which
has been already discussed at consider
able length, may be placed in a more
definite form, and that the board may
be in a position to act finally and with
due deliberation at the close of the
present school year Such adoption
will also leave the board free to dis
miss the entire subject should it seem
wise to do so after procuring the
fullest information.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE 81. DAVIS.
EDWIN B. ULINE.
Mr. Davies said that he was heartily
in favor of manual training and
moved the adoption of the report
Mr.. Fletcher said that he did not
approve of single thing in.the report
The high school was tremendously
expensive portion of the city school
system. Only small per cent of the
pupils reach the high school and less
than half of these are boys. Many of
the boys who do reach the high school
would not use manual training if
trained. 1t would only reach those
who want to make fun of life. Edu-
cation is gotten in the intense part of
life. 1t is wonderful to see what a
number of prominent men have come
up because they were compelled to do
something to make living. Farmers
boys often make successful men. No
educated men are running large affairs
in Mankato today. Many pupils are
compelled to drop out before reaching
the high school in order to earn their
living, and these make the strongest
men in all the professions. z
Mr.. Davies asked whether Mr..
Fletcher thought it would be better to
close the high school.
Mr. Fletcher said that he would not
do that. but would strengthen the
rhetoricals and other weak points
Mr.. Comstock said that the subject
is considered so important the country
over that it is entitled to the investi-
cation of the Mankato school board.
The resolutions do not provide for in
curing the expense for a long time
and perhaps never The purpose of
manual training is to give more prac-