River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-07-05
Training in the Schools.

been intended to have the matter
brought to vote, the thought be-
ing that discussion would be start
ed that would lead to action in the
near future. However, the sentiment
in favor of it was such that motion
to appropriate money to introduce
the work was carried, and a resoiu-
ton tc levy special tax of $500 was
introduced, and the meeting adj
journed for two weeks to give
chance for discussion. AS was said
Monday night, Manual Training is
in the air." 1t is coming. This
school will have it, if not now, then
in the near future.
Some of the arguments in favor
of it are that it creates an interest
in school work that no amount of
book study can do, it keeps the
boys and girls in school and off the
street, it trains both boy and girl in
the use of the hand and eye, it
strengthens the powers of observa-
ton, perception and reasoning, it
teaches the boy and and the girl to
do things which they should know
how to do but which few parents
have time to teach, it gives a great
er dignity to manual labor, it makes
the pupils better readers, better
writer's, better thinkers, better in
every line of school work, and it
does all this and more without ad-
ding to the number of hours of
school work or lessening the
amount of work done in the aca-
denic branches. These things are
facts. They do not admit of dis
pute. They have been demonstrat-
ed again and again. The only ques-
tion.:is, are they worth the price?
The great objection to the intro
duction of Manual Training has al
ways been the expense. At the out
set let it be said that in any discus
sion of Manual Training in River
Falls schools, the Menomonie
schools must be left out of the ques-
ton. Nobody proposes even the
remotest approach to any such ex-
pense. There is University of
Manual Training in the building of
its own, with teachers of it's own,
made possible by the munificence of
a private citizen. In such school
as ours, the work would be done in
connection with the other work of
the school by the teachers hired for
the other work. One of the expen-
ses heretofore attaching to its in
PRODUCTION has been the hiring of
special teachers. By a system pro-
posed by the American Manual
Training School of Chicago, this
expense is now done away with.
Through a system of correspond
ence, the plans and outlines and
materials for the work are all pre-
pared in Chicago, shipped to the
school adopting the system, the
teachers in charge of the grades do
ing the work are taught to direct
the work, and the services of the ex-
ira teacher are dispensed with.
This, again, is no dream. 1t has
been done and is being done in
scores of schools and in increasing
numbers. Hastings began the work
last year, and voted unanimously to
continue it another year. Hastings
had three grades doing the work.
They did not hire any additional
teacher. Their entire expense for
room, tools, material and instruc-
ton for the last year was less than
$4,000. The proposition to intro
duce it into River Falls schools
contemplates putting it into the 9th,
7th and 9Th grades, providing bench
work for the boys and sewing for
the girls. We have the room. 1t
needs cleaning and floor. 1t will
be necessary to purchase benches
and tools. To put it into these
three grades, providing the work
for $50 pupils, fitting the room, get
ting benches and tools, securing all
plans, outlines and materials to be
used, paying for all instructions to
teachers and pupils, the additional
tax asked for will be only $500. A
tax of $500 on the district means SOC
if your assessment is $1100, $1.00 if
YOUR assessment is $1,000, $500 if
your assessment is Sill 900, $1,000 If
YOUR assessment is $22, 900, etc.
Some years ago the work was intro
duced into the Normal school. 1t
has been found a splendid thing
there. If it is a good thing there,
it is good also in the Public schools.
If it is good for one school in a
community, it should be good for
another in the same community. II