The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1906-05-10

education has been undertaken.
There are probably three types of
such education found in these
schools. They may be for purposes
of description and discussion be call
ed ID the Russian system, 90 the
Swedish system, (3) the American
sloyd. There is no place in which
these systems exist as distinct and in
dividual, and yet they are really nota-
bly, different in many respects. The
Russian ideas were apparent in the
centennial exposition at Philadelphia,
when joinery, wood turning, molding
and pattern making, forging and ma
chine shop work of much excellence,
was first exhibited as a system for
secondary schools ana as a proper
preparation for technical education
of higher kind. The Swedish sys-
TEN, known commonly as sloyd, had
as its purpose the making of useful
articles that had place IN the home
and the life of the Swedish people.
The expense of this system as to
equipment and as to material was
comparatively small and chiefly for this
reason it has been accepted as adapt
ed to the needs of the public schools.
The Russian system demanded ex-
pensive shops, elaborate tools and ex-
pensive equipment, and has there
fore found place alone in tine larger
cities. Since quality and not guam
tity is the motto of sloyd, it has been
more generally acceptable as pos
sible type for adoption where educa-
ton is universal. The value of such
instruction depends upon teaching
self reliance among the faculties of
observation and reflection; since prac.
tice precedes theory, handwork goes
before explanations, while the child
thinks his own thoughts, as he is
obliged to work out his own problems
through the given material Ameri-
can sloyd is an adoption of tools and
of exercises to be attained that are
uniformly American,so that the work
done conforms to the civilization ex-
listing. This is necessary and must
be recognized as important if such
system. is preferred.
Some Examples.
"All the larger cenrers of popula-
ton are founding manual training
schools. These exceed in expense of
construction, in Hberality of equip
ment and in elaborateness of oppor-
tunities furnished any previous at
tempt at educational expansion and
development. Kansas City opened
its. manual training high school in
1897. Its plant and equipment cost
100000 and was limited to possible
1000 pupils. 1t was established for
the benefit of those pupils whose in
terests were not regarded by the lit
erary high school. 1t enrolled the
first year S42, the second Lila, the
third 1,244, the fourth 1,492 and the
last about 1000. This occurred with
out materially interfering with the.
central high school and without Of
fering light course of instruction,
as the time and work required was
actually heavier than the literary high
school required. This school has also
enrolled more girls than boys, and is
not attracting the boys in specially
larger numbers than is common in
high schools.
ST. Louis has established two man
ual training schools in recent years,
each of them with equipment costing
100000 Institutions o. higher learn
ing are not possessed of sucn build
ings and equipment as are given these
new educational institutions of the
common people. The success attain
ed is remarkable and not transitory.
The course Of study is specially hea-
Wy and requires more than ordinary
application and time. Botu st. Louis
and Kansas City are more or less fol-
lowers of the Russian system.
Chicago is also in similar way
working out the problem, though the
American sloyd seems to have the
preference in this system. The new
buildings in Chicago, with the invest.
ment in equipment, are ,Ae wonder of
the time. In st, Louis, Chicago ana
Minneapolis centers for the manual
arts are opened in the city for the in
struction of the pupils of the seventh
and eighth grades. In Minneapolis
the work is permitted in each high
school, there being no special manual
training high schools organized, so
called manual training courses being
preferred. At the same time Mime
apolis does not pretend to give as
extensive a course in these lines as
is given in Kansas -.ty and st. Louis.
Menominee, Wis, has today the lead
ing manual arts educational move
ment in the United States. This is
due to one mans nberality and enter
prise, Hon. James H. Stout. The
people of that little city have cooper
ated with him and have invested
largely in all things that we're neces-
sary to test the value of such training.
This is one of the very few public
schools that has manual arts taught
in every grade and with the motive
of preparing every boy and every girl
for a vocation of usefulness to socie-
ty. Here the manual arts are required
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