The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-10
HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE MUST
GET NEARER TO NEEDS OF PEOPLE
Industrial Training Should Be
Added to Academic
Education.
MEANS MUCH FOR VIRGINIA
Time Is Ripe to Extend Voca-
tional Work to Farms and
Into Homes.
Education.
NY j. D. EGGLEsroN, Jr.

cannot attempt In the snort space
which have allowed myself to enter
into a discussion of the feasibility,
the necessity and the duty OF intro
ducing into all of our high schools
vocational training Of type that will
fit those fundamental industries which
obtain in every community. This mat
ter has been threshed out time and
again for many years. 1t Is now high
time that we should be doing some
thing besides talking. The high school
and college must get nearer to the
needs of the people.
The academic training which we
have been giving 1.-The schools is not
sufficient In a democracy. and unless
an industrial training is added to this
academic training there will grow up
separate industrial schools, which
would result in withdrawing from the
academic schools large numbers OF
pupils who should have both the aca-
demic and Industrial education. In
any well-ordered democracy this
would be calamitous, for 1t would lead
to the formation of social classes The
two kinds OF instruction should, as
far as possible, go hand in hand, and
II possible under the same roof or
certainly in the same group. In this
way tho youth who is securing an edu.
cation in culture will at the same time
be securing training for every day
living, and the youth who is securing
a training for the everyday work
lie will at the same time be securing
a training in culture.
There can be no such thing as uni
versal education unless the schools
are democratized by opening their
doors. both to cultural education and
to the education in the major actiyi-6
ties OF life.
One-sided opportunity.
DR.. Davenport. of the University OF
Illinois, has we'll said that we must
see to II that no individual shall
be obliged to choose between an edu.s
cation without vocation, and voca-
ton without an education And he
has equally we'll said that st is dan
gerous to attempt to educate a. live
tional''
The aristocratic idea OF education
is dying, and the sooner 1t is dead
the better. No man believes In Gull
tural education more than do. aud in
the vital necessity OF continuing this
cultural education in order to preserve
that fine spirit and vision, without
which we will perish. But I take no
stock whatever in that false culture
which thinks that it is degrading to
work with the hands, or tnat social
caste is lost thereby. It is the doing
OF everyday work in a shiftless man
ner that is degrading. Davenport we'll
says that 1.-THE culture that comes from
doing in the best way possible the
everyday things Of life, is the best
preparation possible for the apprecia-
ton OF that other culture that Is
purely Intellectual
W. ty,l,
II every one who enters upon any
line Of industrial work were trained In
the Fundamental principles. which UNI
derlte that work. and had In addition
"a cultural education which would
enable the worker to enjoy phases OF
life outside of his daily vocation. every
industry and every line Of everyday
work would be lifted to much higher
plane of efficiency and honesty. We
are told by the advocates Of the purely
academic school that man cannot live
by bread alone. Very true. Neither
can he live by visions alone.
AND a man should not be educated
to live on his own visions and another
mans bread by the sweat Of thine
own brow shalt thou eat bread" Our
schools should educate boy so that
ne may have both visions and pro-
visions.
y
I am convinced that the time Is ripe
IN Virginia, and that we have sufficient
machinery. not only to put vocational
training into our schools, but to eX-
tend this vocational work on to the
farms and into the homes Of the peo-
pie. With our agricultural and domes-
tic science schools already esta blished
In different sections of the State, we
should gradually extend this agricul-
n r NO h01, ~ -.
nestle science and home making for
the girls. so as to train these boys
BY actual practice on their fathers
farms into expert farmers. and these
girls by actual practice in their homes
Into expert home-makers and home
Keepers. Vocational training. to go
hand In hand With the cultural train
Ing Of our public schools, should also
be introduced in our cities
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Woman's College.
Has plant worth over 100000.
| an enrolment of 491 students, all OF
college grade. a faculty OF Sc teachers
and officers, total of ITO employees.
It attracted to Virginia last year 2ls
students from the ten late Confederate
States South OF Virginia. and 14o
| from Confederate territory.
From Virginia 144 attended this COLI
lege while only % students were en-
rolled from Virginia in the other AZ
teen division Al wonen's colleges OF
the United States combined,
The probable reasons for the re-
markable success OF Randolph Macon
Woman's College are. first. the high
| standards maintained, securing tina
hearty Endorsement OF educators: Sec
ond. tho attractiveness of Virginia cli-
mate and social conditions; third, tho
| moderate cost for satisfactory service
Its alumnae may we'll sing:
/ ''Oh! Dear old Randolph- Macon, how
| " majestic now you stand.
You're credit TO Virginia, and a
blessing to the land"
am now working on a propositions
to add $4,000 to the endowment;
have gotten more than halfway. and
expect to land the whole $4,000 next
4 Year, WILLIAM w. SMITH.