The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-24

Herbert Spencer's utilitarian ideas in education, said that 1t is the business of the school first to teach the boy to be a man and then teach him an occu- patton. If the boys entire school period is taken up while we are teach ing him to be a man, then he must learn his occupation as best he can after leaving school or learn no occu- patton at all. If while engaged in character building we incidentally de - velop fitness for occupation have we not done double service for the boy? Who has ever demonstrated, anyway. that the application of scientific truth to practical things interiors with cul- ture? On the contrary does not the study of science in the laboratory, for example, when properly conducted, lend very greatly to the development of culture? And if the laboratory is taken to the garden orchard or shop, is the lesson any the less effective? It is true that there are certain subjects that are considered as having a greater culture value, in certain sense of that word, than other studies-as for ex- ample music, literature, etc. But Is the culture value of these subjects any the less effective because of the study alongside of them of subjects that enable one to master his physical en- vironment? Does not the student arfs- ing from the study of nature as seen in chemistry, in physics, or in biology, have q higher respect for law and a greater reverence for God, and docs 1t in any way detract from this result if, in the meantime, he learns how to keep the buttered side of his bread up
 In the discussion of this subject dur ing the past summer. a prominent edu- cator in an adjoining state called at tention to the fact that q certain class of schools were not receiving the en- thusiastio support of the people as they formerly did and suggested the reason was because these schools were not meeting the needs of the people under existing conditions. After a father's $ son had spent four years at college acquiring an academic education, it was all at once discovered that he did not know how to do anything. He was with out means to take technical or professional course of training. So far as making a living he was but little better equipped if any, than before he attended college. This diseusted the father, and the younger boys, with but little academic training, learned trades or professions of easy mastery. He swung from enc extreme to the other.
 The new county high schools in ad ditlon to the academic training which should be thorough, to meet the needs of and be popular with the people, must give practical training for the farm, the orchard, the garden. the dairy the kitch- en. and in all departments that go to make the home and farm attractive and profitable. While they are to be stepping stones to the college above. we must re-
 member that by far the larger part of high school students do not attend col lege. and while those who wish to attend college may be provided for with fexi- ble course of study it must be attended to that the large body of students in these schools who will not attend college shall not leave the school at the end of their period of attendance empty handed They must not only know how to think mechanically, but they must also be trained to think practically; they must not only have better ideals. but they must be taught how to realize these ideals in every -day life.