Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-19

The following paper was recently
read before the arts and crafts Sec
ton OF the Utah Teachers association
by Joseph Jensen, in charge Of the
school Of engineering and mechanical
arts at the Agricultural college, Logan,
Utah;
A well known writer on educational
topics has said IN effect, that the school
should be mlcrocosm In order that
the pupils knowledge OF social ana in
dustrlal processes may become as broad
and comprehensive as the conditions
may admit This attempt at imitation
of the world must, however, be Judi
ciously and prudently thought out, in
order that It may not result in confu-
sion rather than In an intelligent un-
Outstanding of what II is intended 1t
IL manifestly impossible 10 make out
OF the school microcosm In the full
sense Of that term. Selection must be
had. In this selection manual training
stands for the manufacturing world,
but here again the whole manufactur-
ing world can obviously, not be rep.
resented and a department. selection
must be made
II IL not my purpose at this time to
catalogue the material or the processes
which have been used on may be used
for this work, but rather to point out
the necessity for such thoughtful and
careful selection to be made, that 1t
may hive a broad educa tional value
and not so as to prematurely incline
the bent OF the chlld's tendency to any
particular trade, II Is not the business
of the primary school 10 direct the pu-
Pills tendencies into any particular
lines OF activity but to so develope
their intellects and place such tools and
material at their disposal that they
may be equally well equipped to follow
any OF the various pursuits that follow
the primary schools. whether those pur-
suits may lead directly into the various
vacations Of life for which no further
training, except such as may be had
from the actual experience of those Vo-
cations, Is required or whether they
should enter upon such special courses
or instructions as lead to the more adj
Vanced lines of work known generally
as skilled or professional work
Manual training, then I'm the primary
schools should have a bearing upon any
particular trade only in that II has in
creased an aptitude for the work OF
that trade in the same sense that the
other departments Of instruction have
increased an aptitude for the various
professions
1t would be a mistake to so incline
a chlld's mind that before he has dis
covered his own capacity for higher
and more lucrative vocation he has al
ready so selected his life work that his
range OF influence and usefulness be-
comes limited and circumscribed in
stead of large and wide as might other
wise have been the case. The child
who has the capacity and opportunity
to become classical linguist hstor-
ian. or writer shodld not be directed
by specIa and improper emphasis OF
his early school life in a country school
house. The boy who has the capacity
to become professional engineer or
architect should not be thus directed TO
the carpenter shop. Again then, man
ual training In the primary schools
should properly increase the range of
the pupils aptitude for an artisans
work but not incline him toward any
particular trade.
Beyond the primary school, however.
an additional course of more specialized
manual training may properly be pro-
yided, one which Will have a more inn