Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-07-14
MANUAL TRAINING
IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
l. D. HARVEY GIVES FoRcEFuL
ADDRESS BEFORE NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION.
MUST TEACH YOUTH TO MEET
NEW INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS
CONSTANTLY ARISING.

Education association and head of the
Stout schools at Menomonie, Wis. de-
iivereo his annual address at the gen
eral session of the organization YES.
terday.
Within recent years there has
sprung up a widespread demand for
industrial education" said the
speaker. 1T comes from all parts of
the United States and from all
classes of people, the manufacturer
the professional man, the man en-.
gagged in commercial enterprises, the
farmer, the educator Industrial edu.
cation has probably a different mean.
ing for each of these types of fndi.
Viduals and yet all agree upon one
thing, and that is that it is something
not found in any adequate form in
our present educational system"
President Harvey said that to the
farmer industrial education means
education that will fit the boy to be-
come a more effective farmer and that
VIII present inducements to him to re-
main upon the farm; to the manufac-
turer it means training that will give
him skilled workmen and more eff.
cient foremen and superintendent
| and to some of them it means the
kind of scientific training which fits
one for the research W. * for the dis
covery of new or improved industrial
processes. TO the professional man it
means rather indefinite broadening
Of educational opportunities, to the
student of education it may mean any
one or all of these, and very much
more
Except very limited opportunities
| for instruction leading to skill in in
dusttia' processes, said President
Harvey, practically nothing has
been done in this country for the de-
velopment of industrial education out
side the college or university. Ma
| terial for Institutional purpose in the
entire field must be organized and
put into eachable form and made
available within the range of pupils
capacity for the thousands who now
leave school at an early age with no
training whatever directly fitting
them for the activities of life ia the
industrial world where most of them
will find their work
in the larger cities trade schools
and continuation schools OF various
| types must be organized. The scope
| and character of their work will be
| varied and must be adapted to local
! conditions. In rural communities sec
| onGary schools in which the study of
agriculture and related lines of work
Is the dominant purpose must be or
| ganizcd. But when these different
types OF schools come into existence,
even in considerable number, through
on, rhe country the solution of the
problem has just begun.
"FoI the great mass of those need
ing Industrial education the existing
public schools. elementary ard sec
Cndary, mast furnish the facilities.
They must recognize that the great
majority OF their pupils must earn
their living by their hands and they
must undertake 10 give definite in.
sruCtion and training for at least the
beginning OF industrial efficiency
This broadening of purpose may
find its realization through an ex1en-
sion and modification OF the manual
training work in the public schools
Manual training has been justified be-
81 81 IN,
for cultural purposes, and it may be
fully justified ON these grounds. but 1t
may he so modified as to give very
definite and varied line of training alb
solutely necessary for the Individual
who would become a skilled workman
in the industrial field without in any
way lessening its value for cultural
purposes. r has been making rapid
progress in the public schools in re-
cent years and has approved itself in
still higher place in the es ,imation OF
the public. will be given better finan-
cial support and more time in the
school program, when its scope is en-
iarged so that it may directly serve
Industrial ends"
President Harvey declared that in
dustdial education Is important TOR
girls as wen as for boys; not only
fer the girls who are engaged in in
dustrial pursuits outside the home,
bur for The girls who find their work
in he home, The woman is the side
partner with the man in The home as
bus mess organization. He furnishes
the funds for carrying on that organ
ization, she disburses them and must
De trained COR efficiency in their
mope' use No development OF in
dustrla' educa ion will be adequate
that docs not make as large provisions
for special training for girls as It does
fer boys.
Our educational SYSTEM is the re-
suit of an evolutionary process" sad
the spt aker in conclusion The de-
mans for industrial education is de-
mand for 8 continuation OF the eyoln-
tionary process to meet new condt-
tionS This type OF .NdUcation will ap-
peal to hundreds OF thousands Of youth
who now leave school because they
Go not hna in il that which appeals 70
them. or because its work does not