The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1902-02-27
A Manual Training Course In
Our Schools.

Do not think that this means that we
want to make speciality Of football and
boxing In our suhOOls. Manual training
simply means that the hand shall be
trained as we'll az the head. ia this
course the scholar is taught to use his
hands first through whiting ard model
ing then the use of the carpenters tools.
The value OF such course can only be
suggested:
! To be able to use ones hands well
is as great an education as to use he
brain. The village boy Of today does
not have the chance that his farmer
father did to learn the knack Of doing
| things. II lie worth while 10 teach our
children to use a tool well, to fix ma
chine. TO do the thousand little things
with the hand that one can never do
well unless they have had some early
training.
2 1t makes edccation intensely prscti-
Cal. The boy who has modelled a sphere
IN clay will never forget the properties
| of that form. The boy who has whit
! tied out square until it il square will
not be plagued in geometry with a
| vagueness as 10 what square il. We
have drawing in our schools now yet it
is largely theory. But In manual trair-
ing the child will have to make work
| ing drawing of everything that he has
| to make. He will have 10 use his arith-
metic not in theory but in practice.
Manual training develops the boys it
stinct to create something. He has an
opportunity to make something. He
| does not simply absorb, like a sponge, d
| lot Of facts, but he has to try to produce
something. This helps the inveI tive lu-
| stinct. He learns to do for himself he
becomes self-reliant. He finishes a
| piece of work and has the satisfaction of
feeling that it was made by his own
| efforts. This is the best sort OF charac.
ter building.
| The purpose is not to teach the boy a
trade but to educate him so that the
hand shall be the trained servant Of his
mind. Then whatever trade he may fol.
low or whatever he may do the hand
will have been already trained to obey
the mind. This is good definition OF
| manual training. SIT IL the use Of the
hand as the executive of the mind under
the conscious direction of the will
Moreover manual training is not add
ing new burden to the already over
burdened child. The lessons would only
come two or three times . week, ano
have everywhere proved a rest to the
child from the burden of book-esrning
so that the boy has gone back with
greater zest and power to the books he
| left.
| A public spirited citizen who is inter.
ested In this kind of education has offered
10 equip a manual training school il the
town will vote to support it. Now this
means contribution of 500 or $500 to
the educational system OF the town. Can
we afford to let such an opportunity go
by? There are two rooms unused in the
| Park school that could be equipped for
| this purpose. So everything seems most
| favorable for the work. The expense to
| the town would not be over $1,000 year
for the support Of the course at the out
| side, and If an arrangement could be
made, which is probable, that the mar
| ual training teacher should also teach
| drawing, the cost would not be over
$500 year. At the presenJ time there
are manual training courses in the
| schools of Portland, Westbrook, Bath
and other cities of the State. 1t is rapid
ly being adopted everywhere and just
now the opportunity has come for our
town to put itself among the leaders in
| school development.
HARRY W. KMBALL.