Tombstone epitaph., 1907-06-02
Manual Training In Our City Schools

Among the auuttlOns anu inpiO'e ments under consideration for the City Schools of Tombstone manual training for the boys is one of the most important This is no new subject in the public schools oi the country and where it has been wisely conducted needs uo exponent, for it stands for itself. But with us 1t is a new enterprise and needs ca -eful con sideration lest some mistake be made in disposipg of the suoject,
 The fundamental idet of manual training in the schools is educational. indirectly but not particularly that kind of education which answers the question of "whst do you know?" but specifically that kird which answers to the query "what can you do?'
 The benefits oi the subject fall into two distinct classes, those to the child under train ng and those to the com munity, or to society at large. Som' of the benefits to the child are thu following, tp-wit:
 | Fusr, the development of min' through its connection or relation
 with the body. For example, tn
 child begins to learn to write II
 may be able to think the correc letter forms. But his hand must CT
 ec lte the II ental act by actually mai . ing the letters before he can be said } be able to write. This is only one 9 the many ways in which mind an 2 body work together for common ain : Whatever aids in the development . skill assists n the education of u e child.
 Second, the stimulation or the bc d to original activity, both of body al t Of mind. Give the average boy k n of tools and material to work on al T he will work out some kind Of = product. It must needs be crude p first-may remain 80; but his han ss will learn to act at the command ID the will, and m re or less accurate Id In so doing mental activity is excir os and consequent habit is set in p
 cess of formation. This formation
 habits of thought is one of the flu
 tions of education. With a correc
 formed habit of acting the boy
 comes more and more nearly in fe pendent Of his fellows and more
 more a constructive factor in socie
 Third, it brings the boy into of sympathetic relation with his ;ellc
 teaches him the real relation exist irt between himself and them, ts, breaks down the wall of "class ( ,n tinctIon" which "higher educati ln ri- said to establ sh Really, there i' he such thing as education beyond o pm class" if the right definition Of edl
 tion is used. There is tendel
 however, for the mentally trained op- to think himself better under cer in conditions than his neighhor the works with his hands for his d us bread But this is an abnormal in suit of his conditions or surround to not a natural result Of right ed ing tion. Manual training reveals to in boy that he who works out his wer sonality through his hands, g
 himself to society just as truly
 does the boy who gives mental
 pression to his talents. The two
 equally worthy but in different W Fourth, it tends to induce bs m attendance in school. A heal
 rivalry springs up and every
 counts for gain or loss. No nor tch child likes to see himself outcla lily by his fellows. He soon really has preciares the loss oi day or a ' yer In the workshop and hurries to e ere vent that loss by regular attenda OWL And, finally, good order and d it pline are natural results of the stu
 The child learns that his neight the ipadvertant movement affects ut own workmanship in the shop rty vice versa. If in the shop, the naturally on the outside this s for relation comes to be realized. In rn- way good citizenship-which is d a aim of all public education-co the more and more into prominence.