The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-04-01
A NEW PHASE OF EDUCATION
Address Delivered at the Dell Rapids
Convention My Miss ElOise
Ramsey

The Courant-
Education as progressive force
must concern itself with the problems
that confront the world. Our age
and interests are dominantly indust-
rial in tendency. Hence the response
of education to this condition must be
supremacy practical in its bearing.
The simplest possibility of solution
lies in training one generation to be
economically efficient. Thus the ed
ucator's problem becomes the work
ing out of an adoption that will re-
suit in the maximum of efficiency
without weakening the idealistic pur-
pose in education. 1t becomes al
most wholly a matter of readjust-
ment.
Under the conditions of the past
our school system tended to meet
the needs of the exceptional child
rather than those of all children. 1t
appealed most directly to the fortu-
nate few to whom college follows
school as a matter of course.
However broad minded our inten-
ton the needs of the mass of school
children have received rather super
fetal consideration.
But let us submit the problem to
intensive scrutiny.
The average American child may
be expected to finish the common
school, Where conditions are partic-
ularly favorable he may attend the
high school and possibly complete the
course of study offered there. But
this child can devote to systematic
mental training. After school he
enters the world of industry. There
he is to render service as worker
and citizen. As his training has
rendered him fit so he will better his
industrial condition. When his train
ing has left him powerless to grapple
with his problem he will yield to the
pressure of circumstance. Therein
lies the essential point of this new
adjustment of school and world &C.
tivities. The system must take cog
nizance of the future of the child,
the curriculum must note the voca-
tional possibilities of each child. Rec
ognition of these facts has brought
the trade schools into our midst. That
we have only seen the beginning of
this movement is a fair supposition.
Neverth eless. we may regard 1t as
fixed educational policy rather than
pedagogical experiment. Thus far
we are most familiar with this activ-
ity as it has found expression in the
guise of Manual Training and House.
hold Economy The development of
commercial courses within our high
schools represents another phase of
this new tendency. This is substan-
tial realization of the educational
value of teaching the child to work
with his hands. Out of it comes the
immediate gain of more intelligent
and appreciative consumption. The
trade school idea goes further; 1t
teaches the child to render efficient
service in actual production. To state
it's purpose boldly, the trade school
supplements the usual training with
the acquisition of a trade or craft.
The child then may enter the ranks
with the hope of regular promotion.
His self-confidence is supported by
genuine faith in his own powers of
accomplishment.
A study of frequently found condi-
tons presents different picture. The
child who leaves school between the
ages of twelve and sixteen usually
looks for work. He finds that the
demand requires only skilled labor
and experienced hands. Further, he