Rocky Ford enterprise., 1910-09-16
To What School Shall We Send Our
Boys and Girls7

In the minds of parents, particular
ly those living in the rural districts,
the above question. like Banqno's
ghost, will not down. They want
more training for their children than
the training Of the eighth grade, but
the only course open to them is TO
send their boys and girls away. to the
high school. With the high school.
as now organized. they are not salts
fed.
First, because the high school pre-
pares for college and not for mailing
a living. With most people the alb
sorbing question 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 lab
orer 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 nature to do a cerain kind
of work does no enter into the ques-
ton 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
Tho 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 indus
trial life;-too proud to do manual
labor any more. The glare Of the
city and a small clerkship are more
attractive. Sad indeed Is the plight
of any nation whose people come TO
look upon industrial life as degrad-
ing.
are in the learned professions, wh,is
ninety-fve are in industrial pursuits
and always must be.
The professional man needs the
training of the high school. college
and professional school. and il is pro-
vided for him. The man in industrial
| life needs It, too. but can. 4 always
get i. Unfortunately millions can
not defer their technical training un-
training.
Our system of education, particu-
larly secondary. has been maintained
almost wholly for tho benefit Of the
FIVE per cent who 60 into the learned
professions, while little or nothing
has been done for the ninety.6ve up
on whom the nation depends.
Whether or not the ninety-6ve per
cent are more important than the i've
per cent, they are at least many
times greater. II many times greater
then il Is certainly not unjust to
claim at least equal chances for pre-
paration.
of labor. and in the absence Of the
apprenticeship about the only place
where . boy Of high school grade
can learn q complete trade is in the
reform school or the penitentiary.
Isn't Is high time the high school
cease preparing for college and be-
gin preparing for lifee
tack upon the high school, but rather
| to reflect the feelings Of parents iiv-
/ ing in rural communities who wish
further training for their children
than that of the eighth grade.
In the state Of Colorado are more
than fifteen hundred districts filed
with just enough such people with
just such feelings.
Don't you think the state owes
some debt to these peoplef Don't
they pay their share Of taxes levied
to maintain an educational system9
Should they not be provided fort
1t was to meet the needs of just
such people that the State Board of
Agriculture, of Colorado. last year,
established. in connection with the
Agricultural College. the School of
Agriculture, which provides for thos.
who have finished the eighth grade
three years training Of six months
each in Agriculture and Domestic
Science.
1t Is the hops-of the management
that very soon the work may be ex--
tended to include 4 very strong
course In the Mechanic Arts for the
boys who have mechanical bent of
mind and do not care for agriculture.
An attendance Of two hundred and
thirteen the first year shows con-
ciusivciy that the School OF ARricul-
ture answers = long felt want In the
State Of Colorado. An. attendance Of
four hundred" Is expected for the
coming session which begins October
tn and closes March 3Ist.
II you are interested or know of
some one who should be. kindly write
for free catalogue to T. NJ. Neither
ton, Principal. School Of Agriculture.
State Agricultural College. Fort Col