Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-07-08
TRAIN TEACHERS
Of AGRICULTURE
NORMAL SCHOOLS A PROPER
AGENCY FOR THIS I'M
PORTANT WORK.

Denver, Col. July THE great
est problem in education today is the
industrial training of the common
people so as to enable them individu-
ally to give more productive service. "
said Homer H. Seerley. president of
The Iowa state normal school, Cedar
Falls, Iowa, in his address before the
department Of rural and agricultural
education, which held d meeting yes
terGay in connection with the National
Education association. All other
education can be conducted in groups.
but this mus be personal and indi-
Yidual, All others are somewhat SINH
lar, but this must be adapted to each
individual and calls for a slightly diff
fereUt solution. Improvement IN me
chanical lines Of education is com
paratively easy because it deals with
the pODulOuS and wealthy community
and does not call for eXtraVagant eX-
penditure per capita; but agriculture
must be taught in a sparsely settled
| community and at great expense per
capita. Agriculture is nos one Occupa-
ton or branch, but many occupations
and branches. 1t depends not upon a
single science, but many sciences. 1t
represents in results not a single kind
| Of skill, but many kinds of capabili-
ties
THE nation and the state ought TO
be interested in this agricultural prob
| lem, because if these classes Of our
workers do not prosper, all other
classes fail. The country schools are
thus the most important OF all schools
jha are maintained, because those
| educated therein become the fOunda-
ton OF all business prosperity for all
other yOcations. The work Of con.
| Quoting such training is too expensive
to rely upOn the country school dis
/ tricts alone. and hence the rest OF The
state must help. Nothing Of large i'm
20! tance VIII be able to be shown in
| progress along these lines until large
amounts of money are invested il
10th state and nation so that teachers
can be trained, and salaries sufficient
! for their support can be paid Ther
, agricultural education must depend
upon men teachers and not WOmer
| teachers, AKA this situation Will re
! qdire one Jnan teacher a least fol
every twents or thirty country schools
whose work will h, supervisory anC
! special. ant who VIII give constant at
rention ~ rhe industrial par, Of tn,
Instruction. For tl.ese reasons, effort
1:ave been put forth for several year
/ to interest bot state legislatures
/ and The national congress in this need
50 that financial supper for such al
/, endeavor may be given. Progress
has been made but rhas far but lin
tied results have been obtained.
4 The state normal schools are tn,
4 proper state agency "a use in this Ell
endeaHVw. Trey are numerous They
! are Jew popular r:acher 1rainini
schools; they are conducted econom
! icalIy: they know Now TO train eff
! cienT teachers for the public schools
and '51e9y sSHuId 1be required by che
! several states TO dey much atten
ton to this kind of special education
| The students who attend these teache
schools would cheerIully go into thi:
field aa labor if the opportunity t
make "a gcredrable living were posi-
lie. and only by ssC&te and naticna
! aid can such an endeavOr be accom-
/ plished and the benefits fully realized.