Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-11-20

ana insight and strength OF Ideals
which has made the public schools
and the public school teachers OF our
land So true a source of national prize
and power
The moral and material phases OF
industrial education were discussed by
Thomas II. Search, president OF the
Pennsylvania Museum and Schoo! Oh
Arts OF Philadelphia. Mr.. search
said: ..
OF all educational subjects pleading
for recognition today throughout the
United States. there Is none hold
ing a more interesting place. and
none more difficult TO solution tnah
the problem of Industrial Education.
Apparently the time has arrived for
a fuller and more complete recOsni
ton CT the training OF tn" various
faculties OF tho human system IN
other directions than that OF mere
book knowledge acquisition. such as
has .bitherto accompanied the work or
the schoolrOom. Purely intellectua'
subjects do not appear to b" OF SUI
ficient moment to keep children nap
PLY engaged during the proper term
OF their school life and because Inc!
are not sufficiently interested. many
# them become unhappy. drift away.
AMI are lost to the school and large
" to society. The training Of In"
hand, the eye. the muscles or tn"
bodv mus, be provided and judiciously
introduced as a relief to the present
method OF training.
How this can be best provided. or
provided at all, is the problem when
not only agttates the educational
world, but appears to b" exceedingly
difiicult OF solution.
1t ia my belief that great step
forward can be taken in our Mbllc
school work by introducing the prop
er sort OF industrial and nanual
training. To accomplish this rhd'
every public school should have us
workshop beside it, This workshop
should not be what we would call a
trad. workshop in its early years. pu'
1t should provide the mental stimulus
and the training which can be OBJ
tanned by working In wood and iron
as is now usually done in what we
call our manual training schools 1or
advanced students. I do net advocate
this being done TO the same extent
as Is now done In the manual train
ing schools, but would advise
similar course. The instruction fur
nished in such schools should be
given by mechanic. one who knows
the niceties Of the trade. and one who
takes pride in every form when
masses under his hand. Such 4 per
son Is the kind OF an individual. III
nv Judgment. to lay the foundation
work for almost any useful Calling
that a child may afterward follow.
In our large cities such teacher
should be attached to every gram
mar school and his time would be fui-
" employed every hour of the day IN
taking care OF the various classes as
their periods for serving under MS
guidance arrives. but in the country
schools scattered throughout fhe
State, Villages, small towns. ana
places Of this characterl the imposi-
ton OF such an educational help
would be- attended by too great cost
and therefore 1t would become neces'
sary- to distribute such teachers
time among number Of schools, or
perhaps all the schools that may be
located In an ordinary school dis
trict
This course would provide for our
country schools some opportunity for
a skillful training. Not only would Il
do this. but 1t would furnish the in
ccntive to the young boys and girls
that would make the abstract OF their
school life pleasure. Such an hour
in the school would be a release from
th, grind Of study and would he an
hour of happiness to all who have any
constructive skill or ability.
Instead 81 ninety-five per cent "
our population abandoning the
schools at ar early age We shall see
a great increase In III. percentage OF
our boys and girls who finish the