The new era., 1910-09-22
To What School Shall We
Send Our Boys and Girls?

open to them is to send their boys and
girls away to high school, With the
high school, as now organized, they are
not satisfied
First, because the high school prepares
for college and not for making living.
With most people the absorbinaquestion
is the bread and butter question. A few
may retire, but the mass must toll on.
They know that at no time in the high
school course are their boys and girls
much better prepared to earn their bread
than is the common laborer with whom
they must compete. and at the end of
the course they are not really fitted for
anything except to enter college.
Secondly, because there being few or
no electives offered, all must take the
course as prescribed or withdraw. All
must be ground through the same mill,
it matters not what they expect to be or
do through life, Whether fitted by ma
ture to do certain kind of work does
not enter into the question at all.
Thirdly. because training in the, high
school more often turns the boys and
girls away from. rather than back to life
in the open country. Too often after
four years away from home, spent in
the atmosphere of the high school, the
boys and girls feel themselves too good to
enter industrial life,-too proud to do
manual labor any more. The glare of
the city and small clerkship' are more
attractive. Sad indeed is the plight of
any nation whose people come to look
upon in dustrial life as degrading.
About five percent of the peoble are
in the learned profe sions, while ninty-
five are in industrial pursuits and al
ways must be.
The professional man needs the train
ing of the high school, college and pro
fessional school, and it is provided for
him. The man in industrial life needs
it, too, but cannot always get it. Un-
fortunately millions can not defer their
technical training until after they have
had high school training.
Our system of education, particularly
secondary, has been maintained almost
wholly for the benefit of the five per
cent who go into the learned professions
while little or nothing has been done for
the ninety-five upon whom the nation
depends Whether or not the ninety
five per cent are more important than
the five per cent, they are at least many
times greater If many times greater,
then it is certainly not unjust to claim
equal chances for preparation.
Under the present minute division of
labor, and in the absence of the appren-
ticeship about the only place where
boy Of high school grade can learn
complete trade is in the reform school
or the penitentary.
Isn't it high time the high school cease
for college and begin prepar
ng for life?
This article is not ment as an attack
upon the high school, but rather to re-
1ect the feelings of parents living in
rural communities who wish further
for their children than that of
,he eighth grade
In the State of Colorado are more than
fifteen hundred districts filled with just
enough such people with just such feel
ngs.
Don't you think the State owes some
lebt to these people? Don't they pay
heir share of taxes levied to maintain
IN educational system? Should they
lot be provided for?
1t was to meeo the needs of just such
people that the State Board of Agricul
,ure, of Colorado. last year, established,
n connection with the Agricultural
College, the school of agriculture, which
provides for those who have finished
,he eighth grade, three years training
Of six months each in Agriculture and
Science.
1t is the hope of the management that
very soon the work may be extended to
include very strong course in the Me
,anic Arts for the boys who have a me-
canical bent of mind and do not care
for agriculture.
An attendance of two hundred and
thirteen the first year shows conclusive
ly that the School of Agriculture an
swers long felt want in the State of
Colorado. An attendance of four hun
dred is expected for the coming session
which begins October 4th, and closes
March 31st.
If you are interested or know of some
one who should be, kindly write for
free catalogue to T. NJ. Netherton, Frin-
cipal, School of Agriculture, State Agri-
cultural College. Fort Collins. Colo.