Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04
INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION.
Salient Features of Report of h
Committee of Ten.

Features of Report OF the
Committee of Ten.
The committee OF ten prominent business
men and educators, with Henry s, Pritch- S
EFT of the Carnegie foundation as chair
man, appointed by the National Society !
for the Promotion of Industrial Education. I
has made several important suggestions in
preliminary report on the relation Of in
education to the general system of
of the country. The report cites
the lack of facilities for Industrial train
Ing In the United States and the unfavor-
able contrast we present with Germany in
abreast of the needs OF an indus
trial age. 1t is perfectly clear to the COM
that the education which is to serve
for a whole people must take account OF
training. The report continues:
THE vast majority Of children leave
school at the end of the grammar school
period, a number in fact leaving the school
before that time. Any VOCATIONAL school
which has to serve this great group Of
citizens must evidently fulfil the following
conditions:
"(a) Such a school must articulate at
some point with the public school system
of the country, preferably with the gram
mar school. In other words, the grammar
school must at some point of it's course
ledu Il boy OF girl naturally INTO a NOca-
tlonal school, IL such schools are to be
fruitful to the great mass OF youth.
"(b) If the gramma schools are to make
this connection with vocational schools, 1t
is clear that the grammar schools should
at some part of their course do their part
in developing the vocational purposes OF
the pupils on the basis of enl'ghtment con-
corning the advantages of skilled vocations.
including the trades. It is clear, also, that
every study should be so taught as to bring
out its application to life, particularly to
the skilled vocations, although those studies
would not be so taught in the grammar
school as to provide preparation for any
particular trade. 1t is clear, too, that the
grammar school should introduce elemen-
tary industrial training in some form,
either in the form Of manual training at
the bench or at the forge or in household
pursuits, wherever the training could be
effectively given. Such an introduction OF
subjects for industrial training must come
through the substitution OF these subjects
for something in the curriculum. The way
to industrial education lies not in a more
complex curriculum In existing schools, but
In a larger variety of schools, each with a
simpler program and each seeking to do
well the work It sets out to do.
"(c) Such schools as may articulate with
the grammar school for the training of
youths will. therefore, most likely assume
the form of training school for particular
industries. They will be local in their
character and will seek to serve the needs
of a local industry. The by or girl trained
in them will not be a skilled journeyman
in any trade, but Will have received a
fundamental training in these things which
| will nalra him a aLiI1ad tatrnaynnaa In q
short time and will at the same time
prompt him to a higher form of vocational
efficiency than he is likely to have had
otherwise. In this respect the industrial
training school for youth is likely to have
much the same relation to the preparation
OF a skilled Journeyman as the high-grade
engineering school has to the preparation
of a practical engineer.
Experience would seem to indicate that
the schools which seek to serve those al
ready in the industries will assume one
Of two forms:
I'D Industrial improvement schools.
"() Trade schools.
THE Industrial Improvement school has
so far, as it is likely to do in the future,
assumed the form OF an evening school in
which are taught the fundamental sciences
upon which a trade rests. together with
such technical information as can be given
In a physical, chemica or mechanical
laboratory. For example, those who are
engaged In the power station of an cleo
trio railroad, as motormen. as electricians
or as linemen, may in such a school learn
the fundamental theory of electricity, the
methods OF insulation, OF electrical meas
urement and OF the transformation of en-
ergy. All Of these principles may be H.
Illustrated before their eyes in the electrical
laboratory, and they may thus acquire a
{ foundation OF knowledge which will en-
able them to become In time foremen, man.
r ayers or perhaps inventors. Such a school
{ appeals only to the men Of more than
usual ambition and energy.
r 1.-The pure trade school,, on the other
, hand, undertakes to teach not alone the
g fundamental processes of a trade, but its
= technique, 1t therefore lays chief EN-.
e phasis upon giving TO its students such
continuous practice as may bring them vi
E to the point OF experiences. 1t seeks to re,
\ produce as nearly as possible the condi
2 tons Of actual practice.
. 1T seems clear to your committee tina
n schools OF all the types which have beer
h mentioned here, both for youths and 70
adults, are likely TO be attempted, and, II
a fact, are being attempted in the variouI
parts of the United States. The commit
3 tee believes that all these types of SCHOOL,
are to be welcomed as experiments in tn,
Il general problem which we are seeking L
solve. Success In industrial training doe
not depend upon the adoption OF one typ
Of school. A, measure of success is likel,
h to be achieved by all OF these efforts, an,
in the judgment Of your committee It /
n wise for those who have to do with in
dustial education TO welcome during tn
next decade of experimentation ali thes
! forms OF Industrial education. whether the
be In the form Of a trade school for boy
o an Industrial Improvement school for boy
and adults, or a trade school for the work
ers OF a trade. Ultimately all these ei
forts will, by the force OF educations
- gravitation. relate themselves to the pull
lie school system OF the country, partly b
the ADAPTATION Of the public school systeI