The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-28

~NNN~tN@@~%NA ed in the better towns system of
 academies or fitting schools for the colleges. These were exclusive, also,
 and accordingly there was no educa-
 tional outlet for those who completed
 the elementary school. Then came in
 the public high school system. which
 has become the strong connecting link
 between the elementary schools and
 the colleges. Colleges have multiplied and the best of them have become
 grat universities. The road from the
 Kindergarten to the university has
 been made continuous and rosy. The
 great fault in our educational system
 Hes here. Too much of the work done in our schools Is done merely with a view to the preparation for a higher
 institution of learning. Too little
 thought is given to those who must complete their education, so far as
 schools are concerned. in the high
 school or even in the elementary
 school, and this is by far the greater
 number. Statistics show that not
 more than two-fifths Of the children
 who enter our elementary schools ever
 finish them. and that not one-half of
 them go beyond the fifth or sixth
 grade. Only about one-sixth of those
 who enter the high schools remain to
 graduate. It is true that all high
 schools of any importance in the coun-
 try now have their departments of
 manual training and domestic science,
 and the larger school systems in the
 cities have their manual training high
 schools. This is an undeniable ad-
 vantage and step in the right direc-
 ton, but as Professor Baldwin, of the
 State Normal School. Hyannis. Mass.
 says, in this connection, these schools
 work only on the edge" They do not
 give practical training. They do not
 teach a trade. They merely prepare
 for technological college or for one
 of the industriai professions in a man.
 aging or professional capacity. Tho
 entire system of schools tend to turn
 out professional men, managers and
 captains of industry rather than skill-
 ed workmen. What little manual
 work is done in the elementary schools
 Is merely a diversion. or at best 8
 preparation for the manual training of
 the high school. Cleveland, Ohio,
 seems to have been the most success
 ful in carrying on manual and domes-
 tic work in all grades of It's elemen- tary schools. It was introduced fifteen
 years ago and is stiII carried on, but
 the Idea has not been fayorablY re-
 ceived generally. In the four lower
 grades the work consists of sand moulding. clay modelling, paper fold ing. ountlining with the needle, con-
 struction through the use of card beard. and all phases of elementary drawing. In tho higher grades cut
 ting forms in wood and bench work is given the boys. and simple needle
 work and plain cooking, the girls. The system works smoothly, but the
 innovation is too great to appe,1 to educators generally. Yet the V na-
 ture of the child requires tn, Sort of training. Professor BaIdwfa says: 'In the real world agriculture. fishing, manufacturing. building and com merce are the fundaemntal activities Of civilized man. About these, and depending upon them, are the other activities of modern life. Tn other
 words. labor, skilled and unskilled, the dealing with physical forces. fur nishes the basis of modern society In connection with these activities and growing out of them. are all profess sions, sciences. philosophles and re1ig- Ions. Seif-activity is basal in the world of the man. The opportunities for self-activity come to tho very young child through play. Through play he develops his body and mind, and as he increases in understanding and power to do, he comes to desire to help his father and mother. He wishes to work. He may soon tire of It, but he Feturns to 1t again and again, especially if he has been led to see that he has been g., real helper. When the child comes into the public school, his development to be natural, must be continued along lines similar to those followed in the home. which would seem to be physical training and industrial training. Much of the AAs Affst{ fa aob1 g~ cal, because 1t is unnatural We take the yonng child away from the fields and the woods. where he longs to be. and put him into a box, which some of us have been trying to make into a gtlded cage. Even here we are un. willing that he shall move about and exercise his young and growing mus cles, but he must sit in one place and one position for the best hours of the day. Now, modern psychology teach es, what every parent knows, that ar- tivity is a necessity for the life and growth of the young child, physically. mentally and morally; that he is con. tinually reaching out through his special senses to lay hold upon every thing about him to test 1t. to see what it's relation to himself may be, to see if he can use it and make something for himself with it.; that he is an initiative being. delighting to repro duce the sound he hears. the action he sees. and. in fact, to live over, and so make his own, the experiences Of the people whom he sees and of whom he reads"
 Professor Baldwin has put his ths- l ories Into practice very successfully | In the training department of the Nor | nal School at Hyannis While the | work is fin the experimental stage as yet. those intimately acquainted with | f consider that Professor Baldwin is working along right lines and that | 10 has already accomplished a great | leal. In his book entitled Industrial Social Education he gives a detailed md extensive account of the work. md 1t is most interesting and in- ltructive book. The training depart nent of the Normal School consists og he two hundred pupils of the village Ichool. Professor Baldwin says: During most of the day the school | appears like any other public school. except that if one stops to listen to he lessons he finds that most of them | Ire correlated with some form of fr4 | iustTial work, but at certain hours Of he day one might pass through our Training School and find 1t a verit- ! Ible manufactory. with every child at york. We have gradually introduced | nto the primary grades of the school, | weaving, braiding and sewing mats, making baskets and hats, tag-board | wall paper, picture frames, md portieres. all to be used in fur fishing a dolls house; and into the srammar grades, bask ct making with aphia and reeds, mounting of sea nosses, making of raphia hats, sew ng. darning, cardboard construction.