The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-24
Why Z each
Manual Training

In the year 1880 one city in the United
States taught manual training in It's
nublic elementary schools. Now manual
training other than drawing is taught in
the schools of more than four-tifths Of
tho cities of 5000 or more inhabitants
ana drawing is taught III still more
nearly all. in fact. There are reasons
for this remarkable growth OF nlanuil'
training in the last twenty five years,
Almost every good reason which has been
given for the introduction of any subject
into the course of study has been given
for the introduction Of manual training.
In this ARTICLE | wish to call attention 70
some of the reasons for handWork IN TIC
schools.
In the first place, attention may be
called to the fact that 1t is not q new
thing or a mere fad" for it was advo-
Gated by great educational reforners cen
turtles ago though its place In the schonl
system was not recognized ulltll tiie lll'e
| tcentl century.
| Until very recently the school mas
| been and unfortunately even now IS
\ sometimes looked upon as a place Whcre
| the child must sit and listen all day long.
with no legitimate opportunity tor motor
activity. Hnndworl In the school IS one
I of the means by which child may learn
Ito do by doing" ! appeals to the IN
terest of the child; 1t secures and con-
l.centrntcs attention; it aids in developing
| the functions of memory and OF magma
! ton: ii creates habits of self-reiance.
originality and invention. 1t isi3onc OF
| the ways in which n child may contribute
to his own education, which is the only
| true method
Self expression is a strong Characters
! tic of the American child. He wants to
| say things and he wants to do thing7;
and he likes TO do things like the adult
man OF affairs does every day in his
business life. The problem Of the teacher
is to SO direct this instinct Of the child
as to organize him into a valuable in.
4 dustrial unit, capable of doing things and
Of doing them well. Manual training helps
in this direction.
There has been in recent Years, on NE
mart of American educators especially,
i greater and greater recognition of the
\ fact that the school should be closely
related to life--not the life of the past
hut the life which the child Is living and
must In future live. Tho more nearly ed
ucation IS lfc. and the more nearly ire
schoolroom Is the world outside, the more
it becomes II true and valuable prepare
ton for life. The world in which we
live is largely an industrial world, ana
1t is becoming moro SO every year All
the great events IN modern history nave
had u more or less economic and INDUS
trial basis. The school must recognize
this and seek to combine the information
side Of It's work with tho doing side, IN
order that the combination of the two
may give the child an insight into the
industrial world,
on the social side the effect is mos
wholesome The cooperative work OF
, the classroom reproduces something 81
| the social relations of the world outside
and working with his own hands give
, the child an interest in the work of 9th
cra and respect for labor and him who
labors.
An education which would fit for IF:
;, IN an industrial society such as ours I
!, must necessarily seek to develop n de
gree of manual and industrial ntcll'
/, gcnce in every citizen. The school ha
= been prone TO neglect the hand and Il
! seek 10 develop the brain only, while til
= industrial world too often has sought t
: dcYlop the hand, without any thought 0
the brain, Manual work IN the schor
g seeks 10 bring the two together for tn
bcttermont of both. Beginning with III
foundations laid in TIE kindergarten, tn
manual work In tho elementary grade
trains the hand along with the brat
and this makes it possible later to dc
ye!op brain rs well as hand, and in S
4 doing give a more Intelligent aud n NOR
efficient worker 10 the world. In sue
measure as the child learns by doing, $
Viii the man use his brain in the sci
vice which he renders to the world.
Y Just word as to the teacher. Nh
: art of teaching Is nothing more nor les
than making the most Of ones pupD
no do this nccessitates pleasant SUI
roundngs, pleasant work and pleasant r,
latlons between pupil and teacher, 1t
not the least of the virtues OF lnanu
training that it provides change
T. work and physical relaxation. and cnabl
l. the teacher to put herself more IN II
"a attitude Of a leader Of n group than til!
1, OF ~leidcr Of textbook
:. hope you VIII agree with me that fro
% the standpoint of the child himself, OF Il
ch!lds world and Of the chld's tcache
manual training is a necessary part
the work OF the child's school
ST JULIAN a, BuRRuSS.
IN order 10 call attention 10 the ed
calional value Of school work In manu-