The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-06-09
A MOST USEFUL INSTITUTION.

from room to room Friday viewing the
work of the students in the Indianapolis
Manual Training School would be sufficient
material for new ideas regarding the posi-
bilities of public school education. If the
visitor labored under the impression that
manual training in public schools is a fad
TO be rdiculed by those who congratulate
themselves on being practical, he must
have come away with the conviction that
he had been deceived. for II there is any,
Thing e-ninently practical in public in
struction it is the teaching of boys and
girls the things which will enable them
to care for themselves and to take a part
in the worlds work when they leave the
schoolroom. The ready and seemingly un-
answerable argument of those who op-
pose the high school a feature of the
public school system has been for years
that such courses of study might rather
unfit than fit young people for the work
of life- 1t is not easy to meet this objec-
ton. Unless the graduate is to be
teacher aims to enter one of the pro-
fessions a large part of the course of the
high school is OF little value, except so far
as it affords discipline. AS result all oc-
equations in which the more liberal edu-
cation of the high school is essential have
been crowded for years. The silent in
fluence of such education is to create the
impression that all employments which re-
quire the skilled hand are. to be Stunned by
those who value what is often called So
cial position.
The introduction of manual training as
one Of the essential branches in the high
school has already broadened the arena
for men and women who obtain the higher
education. The young who has be-
come an expert in the use of the tools of
the mechanic has a much broader field
than the one whose education is confined
to books. He has score of chances in life
where he had not one under the old sys-
tenn. He need rot be one of the waiting
throng for a clerkship, chance to teach
or earn a meager living in one of the over
crowded professions. When asked what he
can do the graduate of the manual train
ing school can name dozen employments
10 which he can turn his hand when he
could name but two three if his course
of study had been the usual high school
curriculum. The young woman who takes
! the manual course has several choices of
employment If she is inclined to be what
is called business woman.
Not the least of the best results of the
manual training school is that it will tend
not to elevate many employments, but will
give them a higher rating in the public es-
timation When. on exhibition day. the
handiwork of young men in the mechanic
arts and of young women in the domestic
arts is admired by hundreds of visitors the
employments which turn them out are sure
to obtain a higher place in the public es-
| timation. The young man who heard the
words of admiring surprise over the en-
CINE which he had built and the score of
boys who listened to that praise can never
be made to feel that any line of mechanics
is not a vocation to be proud of by the
young man who has attained proficiency
in the manual training school The girl
who has been taught that cooking is an
art instead of commonplace drudgery
| may yet have an influence in giving do
| nestle service a better status.
One of the best results of manual train
ing is the indirect influence in causing boys
to take the high school course. In the past
| the larger part of boys dropped out of
| school before the high school grade was
reached. Many did so because they had no
taste for the studies and more because
| parents felt that the instruction was not
useful in the vocations their sons must
| adopt Now scores OF boys who would not
attend the high school as it was are eager
| TO attend the high school with the manual
| training feature. Boys who would have
| been dull pupils without the manual train
| ing feature are good students because of
| suit of this is that into all the callings
| which applied chemistry may be said to
| have created during the past twenty years
| in every department of industry will go
| young men whose minds disciplined by
| a thorough course of study. and they will
elevate employments which people have
| Stunned in the past because of the erro-
neous impression that they are suited to
| ordinary men.
So. taken all in ALL the manual training
! school. which has cost indianapolis a large
| sum of money. may be regarded as the
| best investment the city has ever made
| either from an educational or pecuniary
| view point.