Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1903-01-08
state. and the mind training school in


or state. No, in the country we must
put them in the same building. in the
same room, in the same class, in
the same lesson, in the same mo-
ment. Hand in hand must go mind
training and industrial training.
or impression and its corresponding
expression, hand in hand from the kim
dergarten throughout the several
grades. There is some airship talk
about equipment of other rooms for the
common school teacher to give instruc-'
ton in manual training that is doing
injury to the cause of the new educa-
ton. The one-room rural school will
long be fixture. The tactful COM
mon school teacher must correlate her
industrial and mind work with the
equipment of one room. She must dis
tribute over the entire school period
such suitable manual work as will &C.
cupy but very small part of the daily
program, and all such work should
come as rest and a recreation from
the intellectual tasks assigned, so that
instead of being a hindrance it would.
in fact, be stimulus and substantial
help in the regular class work. The
bringing of these exercises into the
regular common school would serve,
also, to hold vast numbers in the
schools who now lose interest and drop
out.
THE child finished at the country
school should know something and be
able to do something. He will then be
of some use to society. He will not be
a drone in the hive. We are very an
gent in keeping it before the teacher
that she is to teach physiology accord
ing to law. I trust that no one is in
sisting upon the young people availing
themselves of this unitarian and in
dustrial education. We care nothing
for law, or rule or regulation that
places it in the program. We are only
concerned that the common school
teacher knows enough about it that it
may be offered, and we have every rea-
son to believe that it will be long
time before the supply can equal the
demand. Once the country children
bring to their homes forms of industri-
al work that now grace the homes of
Minneapolis, the product of the chill
dren in the schools, and an educational
revival will follow that will make the
compulsory attendance law dead and
forgotten. You that have seen chill
dren weave baskets and rugs, ply
thoughtfully the needle or manipulate
tools. need not be assured that the zeal
of children to do industrial work far
outdoes the capacity of the common
school teacher, ordinarily trained, for
doing the work.
I'm America all schooling should lead
primarily to the elevation and devel-
opment of the individual, and only Sec
ondarily to the greater material pros
perity. We hear of those who object
to the teaching of trades, and primari-
ly it is foreign to the end that the in
dustrial training of the common school
is trade training. However, if we
teach a boy trade, it is not only tnat
he may practice it, but that he may be-
come master workman, an employer,
a contractor, a manufacturer. a pro-
prietor, leader in his calling, and,
withal, an influential citizen and par
ticipant in public affairs. The butter
ed side of the bread attracts the man
who has faced the practical affairs OF
modern life. Equipment for the COM
petitive duties of life is essential.
LET us improve our systems rather
than destroy them. They have served
an excellent purpose thus far and are
constantly growing better. All they
need is to be adjusted to the constant
ly changing needs of the people. The
faults will disappear as we apply ra-
tional remedies. The problem OF max
ing industrial training part OF daily
school work has not yet been fully
solved for the country schools, at
least, in practice, yet the way is con-
tinually opening, until, ultimately, II
+, we live Up to our convictions and op-
! purtunities, the problem will solve IT.
self and the practice will be larger ana
larger.
Some of the common schools are
maintaining a course in free-hand
drawing, for boys and girls alike, ex-
tending over the entire period OF the
common school course. 1t is based on
the art idea, and has little direct refer
ence to construction, except that in the
first few years it is made especially
full of exercises involving manipula-
tions of materials, such as paper-cut-
ting, stick-laying, clay-modeling, paper
folding, cardboard construction, brush
drawing, color painting and basket
weaving. With the older pupils there
is a wide field in the choice of SUBJ
iects. methods and mediums. and We
sometimes find charcoal, pen-and-iEk.
and brush, in sepia and in color. 1t
concerns itself in due degree with ma
ture study, model and object drawing,
illustration, measurements, and work
ing drawings, light and shade, historic
ornament, water-color painting and de-
sign.
1.-The course in sewing, for girls, is
finding much favor where it has been
attempted by the common school teach
er. IL this course each new exercise
is isolated for the purpose of teaching
and is followed quite closely by appli-
cation to completed whole. Accura'
CIV and neatness are insisted upon. The
practice work is accompanied by the
presentation of much matter of inform
alton about fabrics-their manufac.
ture. raw materials, characteristics &C
utilities. Concentrating is assigned
to the older children.
Experimental cooking may be be
You'd the capacity Of the one-room
school house. A great deal has been
done with the demonstration work
Home sanitation. home nursing, home