The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-03-23
SCHOOLS m GUATEMALA.
Adoption Of American Educational
4. Methods Productive Of
Il Good Results.

American teachers who went Do Qua.
senala some time ago ct the request
- TIE government are sending back
0eefesting accounts of the progress
which that country Is making in
adapting the educational methods that
obtain In the United States. The news
DaDers also have good deal to say ON
sns subject. President Estrada Ca
bsesa, who is q progressive man, for
several years has had the ambition to
GtFe new turn to public instruction.
- to make 1t practical, after the
system OF the United States. His idea
y that the youth of the Latin. Ameri-
can countries are especially in need of
newer methods, and Of getting away
esom the metaphysical systems which
created large class of professional
men, for whom there was no room and
@Ao were drawback to material prog
reas.
Some time ago President Cabrera
established what was called the prac-
tfeal school, which combined technical
instruction and manual training. A
seW weeks ago exercises were held at
tie Escuela Practica, or technical
school. and 1t is concerning this that
the New York teachers have written
20 eacouragingly. The president de-
nvered an address on the value of
work and Of developing through the
Schools an aptitude for everyday life.
Hesetofore, he said, there had been TOO
Ml1lHh fhanru tn $hok
plainly professional in the system fol-
lowed. Now that the aspiration of
many years had been realized, he was
hopeful that the experiment would be
senefacial in giving new direction to
the national spirit. and would result
In the kind of business training that
would fit the Guatemalan youth for the
activities of practical life, rather than
fncline them to the traditions of the
past.
Under the direction Of the president
!neads for farm experiments have been
established. and the youth are taught
the care Of horses and other farm work,
% we'll as the manual trades. There
h special provision made for athletic
sports. It is proposed now to estab-
ltsh girls training school in the
capital city, also on practical lines,
and at the exercises held this purpose
was made prominent by the courteous
attention which the president showed
the principal of this proposed girls
school, who is an American woman
| The technical school established at
the capital follows one which has been
IA existence for some time in the city
iof Quezaltenango. In this school the
,Guatemalan youth are taught carpen-
'tering, tailoring. ironworking and 9TH
or useful occupations. There is also
s,malar institution for girls, who are
taught cooking, sewing, laundering
and the like.
About a year ago night schools were
organized in the capital for working
men who are employed during the day
time. There are also schools OF en-
cheering, commerce and bookkeep-
ing.
The national schools of Guatemala
have $4,000 pupils, while the private
institutions have only 1900. This is
not the case in many Latin-American
where the tendency is 10
prefer the. private school to the public
Instruction, but it is IN line with Pres
taent Cabrera's ideas of modelling the
Gnasemalan system after that of the
iUnited States.