The Savannah morning news., 1904-04-12
REPORT MADE ON
MANUAL TRAINING
TO BOARD OF EDUCATION.
QUESTION REFERRED TO COMMIT
TEE OF THE WHOLE.

cient Importance to Justify Watt
;,m Until There Is Larger Meeting
70 discuss It-SpeciaI Committee
HeartiIy Recommends Establish
r,cnt of System in Savannah
scbooIs-Teacher from school of
Technology.
Al the April meeting of the Board of
r7ducation last night the committee APP
nointed to visit the schools of Georgia
in which manual training was taught,
made it's report.
The report was presented by Mr.. P.
stovall, and for only few minutes
was informally discussed. and then re-
ferred to the Committee of the Whole
for action at a future meeting.
Those present at the meeting were
President George A. Mercer, Capt. Hen
nv Blum, Mr.. P. A. Stovall, Mr.. M. A.
O'Byrne, Mr. r. ]. Davant, Mr. Lee Roy
Myers, DR.. T. ]. Charlton and Supt.
Otis Ashmore. 1t was held by those
present that the subject was one of too
great Importance to be discussed, and
finally passed upon, until there was
full meeting of the board. The fol-
lowing is the report made by Mr.. Sto-
vail to the board
The Committees Report.
1.-THE committee to which was en-
trusted the task of examining into the
view Of introducing it into the public
schools of Savannah, begs leave to
make the following report:
Mr.. Chairman-On Friday evening.
March is, your committee had g. meet
ing in the superintendent office at
Chatham Academy. There were pres
ent every member of the committee,
and by invitation Mr.. George ]. Bald
win was heard in behalf of the propo-
sition to embody the course of prac-
teal work in the schools.
"On the evening of Tuesday, April
three of the five members of the COM
mittee left Savannah and visited the
schools of Columbus, Macon and At
lanta. The other two members of the
committee were prevented by business
before the Supreme Court from making
this tour In Columbus and Atlanta
the committee went through the shops
and school rooms where this Industrial
work is being conducted. In Macon
where they arrived late in the evening,
they had only time to converse with the
president, superintendent and other
members of the Board of Education
upon the subject.
Not Yet Perfected.
Manual training has not yet been
perfected in the preparatory schools.
1t has not been worked out in it's best
form and may not in every instance
have shown the high educational value
which it contemplates. But the idea
Is one which is of unquestioned ex-
nd hn rhAlA III T.
ing for accuracy, and interest and
the Development of practical express
sion on the part of the pupil by the
work of his hands. In the three Geor-
GA systems where progress in this line
is marked small beginnings were made
TWO or three years ago.
The problem is being worked out
steadily, earnestly, satisfactorily and
Vhe plan once adopted has in no in
stance been abandoned or suffered to
fetrograde. Columbus first had a
primary industrial school. To-day that
CITY has shops in one of the central
grammar schools where girls and BOYS
from the higher grades meet and take
lessons IN carpentry, designing, cooking
and other processes. The work in the
cotored schools in Columbus is very
promising.
The superintendent of the public
SCHOOLS OF Columbus says in his re-
port: This manual work in the
scnools has met with general favor on
me part of the public, who are not
sloW 10 discern the right thing in
education. Not only is this true but
:. mas qulckened the interest of the
Pupiis IN their general school work;
ndS zone much to hold them in school
anu mas been q most valuable means
" developing character the highest
Pui pose IN education"
Its Purposes and Costs.
PRACTICAL education provides for the
Pu4tlon of the child to the life that
40, apout It. This is a tendency to
If III" itso Tue school closer to the realities
~ me without in any way lessening
sne mental or ethical training. IN
II mas been found in introducing
+Supyects that appeal more directly
ole interests and arouse the activi-
- vi the child that the mental and
O'm lC5e effect is improved.
rms seems to be the almost mi
sersal testimony of those who have
noo $3.50 the experiment. The leading ed
oatoIs OF the country have written
~pon TINS point, and surely they would
~ adVocate manual training IL they
FshI It's influence was not sound
h., Vis ~, an educational standpoint. 1t is
~ sen activity, by experiences in do
Ing thlngs that the child really de-
Neiops its best qualities
- me ne cost or putting manual training
49, lne Columbus schools outside of the
erniary industrial school which is a
49,! feature in the factory settle
IreiII' IS about $1,000 year. This pri-
,m%Iy work is really covered in Savan-
o IN now by the free kindergarten.
~ me cost of conducting the system
49, Atianta outside of the purchase of
s s'Ie plant is about SO, 700 a year The
,pparatus cost in the High School and
6a oe Grammar School alike about ga
n.y. Here the manual training idea
T +,as peen we'll carried out and goes so
- iai as to fit a boy for the Junior class
or me State School of Technology,
" LOT practical work in the shops.
Recommend 1t Here.
Inc curriculum in the BOYS High
Va, IiIooi mas been so arranged as to pro-
III 81 Tor classical course, second
bIuslness course of stenography and
,oohheeplng, and third the classes of
I1aI training. These courses are
1--we and the attendance upon the
aieo 'ual training studies, which include
Ish ciean, vigorous course in Eng
+h, science and arithmetic. is larger
i; I'm VI mat Of either of the Others. IT
G. we general experience that all chill
~ ~ oilered these privileges take adj
.ase OF the opportunities of manu-
" alnlng up to the high school.
Iour committee would strongly rec
tra li.ehu the adoption OF the manual
Al