The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-07-09

system IS the TACT that there are more
young men enrolled in the. correspon-
dence schools seeking mechanical train
ing than are enrolled in all of the
colleges Of the country.
These young men and many older
Eones, have left school long before their
education is far enough advanced to
carry them successfully through life,
for the reason that they longed for
more active work or wanted to do
something where results could be seen,
go to work at some odd job work and
after they have spent several years,
or probably the best part Of their active
lives, find that they are handicapped
and do not get advancements that they
would like because they never had any
for the very work that they
had chosen to follow.
Their next attempt at schooling is
to try the correspondence school.
These schools are excellent for those
who are capable of carrying on study
and research work, but for most of
these belated students it means almost
certain failure in the majority of cases
to get any great benefit out of them
because they do not know how to study
and soon become confused and dis
couraged and give up, thereby making
it a commercial business for the
schools.
We must give this education to the
pupil at the time it will do him most
good and show him that our schools
will train him to earn livelihood after
he goes out into life|s work.
The real object Of manual training
is to train the mind and hand to work
together, not to teach trade, for that
necessitates the repetition of certain
principles until the pupil is skilled SUI
fciently to go out and take his place
with those who have become skilled by
practice.
Manual training should be kept edu-
cative; that is that a pupil should not
repeat an exercise or similar character
of work until he can perform it without
thinking.
AS soon as he is skilled in certain
work he becomes as a machine, auto
matte and the work loses it's education
al value. Then it is not in the finished
product that the real value to the pupil
lies, but in the doing Of that which
produces the finished product.
If this is true then every motion Of
the saw, every movement Of the plane,
and every stroke Of the hammer should
be directed by careful thought and
definite aim.
Manual training inculcates and raises
the dignity of labor, not by precept, but
by example.
It brings the pupils more nearly to a
social level than any other branch of
school work for here, as was said be-
fore, the wealthy labors side by side
with the poor in the real toll which
produces the sweat of the brow.
Here his energy, Judgment and abili-
ty are matched with his companion in
such way that it brings out his utmost
efforts.
Each Yies. with the others in producing
the best that he is capable of doing
and ,asi the exercise Of everg faculty
short Of fatigue strengthens that facul-
tY. he grows stronger in, each effort
Every demand upon the skill, judg-
mentl and accuracy means building
up of. these Aqgalities, and this brings.
increase in power and rincrease in in
terest 4~a-
Manual training is not merely a
scheme to train the hands, or supply
the world with artisans, or take the
PLACE OF. a dead; apprentice system, ,.or
to meet the educational demands of to-
days but it is. tdT round and make more,
useful 1T the world at large, the people
of the future
In our present education which is a
pouring in process, the pupil. is in "a
passive and inactive state of recipiency
and restraint instead of a .state.of acti.,
witty of body and mind and full Of out
going energy. i,
The active work Of the-shop arouses
the energy of both mind and body.
I'VE are all fully aware of the fact
that our schools fail to be places Of
SOCIAL centers because there is little
sympathetic feeling between their pat
rOns.
The schools are. trying to prepare
future members of a social order in
place where the social spirit is almost
entirely lacking. .<...
Instead of producing social feel
ing they tend to produce the opposite,
as the absorption Of facts and truths
is so individual in nature that it nat
urally passes into selfshness. 4a1.;4
While on the other hand our newer
education is means of not only bene-
fitting the individual, but others also
share in the benefit, thereby establish
ing sociability that is not found in
our present education.
The aim in this new education is not
the commercial value of the product
but the development of. power and in
sight; the training Of Judgment, deter
mination, attention, accuracy, the CON