The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-22

gress and development, which will
bring you a larger population.
Il read with great interest the re-
port of your superintendent of the
schools, showing the investment of
something like 100000 for school
buildings. with an enrolment of 1900
pupils, maintained at the cost of $21S,-
geo, and yet I am surprised that in
spite of the increase in population of
1850 in the last 20 years. your en-
rollment has only increased S5f.
Use of Trade Schools.
"T'he problem in public school edu-
cation is to keep the boy and girl in
school, and to arrange a course OF
study that will be sufficiently attrac-
tive to hold them there. Today the
boy and girl seems anxious to get IN
the business world; they want to get
lob; they want to earn a few dol
lars. In spite of the compulsory edu-
cational laws, we have the awful sit
uation of an inefficient, ignorant gen.
Grafton of boys and girls. of young
men and young women entering our
stores and factories wholly unprepared
and unqualified for the work on hand.
Your manual training beginning in
the Fourth grade is a step in the right
direction, and your gymnastics as
part of your curriculum is going to be
a help to. keep the boy. and the girl in
school. DR.. Curtis. of the National
Playground association. told us that in
England the children are taught to
play, which is a part of the school
work They are graded just the same
in play, as they are in arithmetic, or
any other academic study.
"If you can keep the boy and the girl
in school until they are Is or 16 years
old, we will be able to overcome the
failure of the apprentice system, ana
ton to earn a decent wage, and be-
come decent, desirable citizens.
ct seems a sad commentary, on
our civilization that the trades are
taught in the penitentiary and the
warehouses;, and that they are not
taught in the public schools. In the
larger education of our citizenship
comes the broader use of our schools.
The time is coming and coming soon,
when the school plant will not lie idle
20 per cent of its time, when the school
plants, which belong to the people, Will
be used by the people; not limited to
the morning and afternoon session, but
will become the center of a great neigh
borhood of culture; the school houses to
be opened up for the use of adults In
the evenings and the summer time,
where the university educational lee
lures can be brought to the people, and
where the night schools will open for
young men and women who are oD1g-
ed to work. giving them the oppor-
| tunitieS of an education, which condl-
| tions prohibited them from receiving
In Kansas City we are about to
open four trade schools We expect
| to give the girls a chance and teach
them salesmanship-and the boys, too.
The boys will be taught the trades.
The idea is to get rid of that steam
engine in the boys and girls who
haven't the opportunity. The old sys-
| tenn of education is all right for the
BOYS and girls who go to college. But
how about the rest?
| Canada has appropriated $25, 1000
, to investigate trade schools. Germany
/ is away ahead Of u.s. The workmer
are proficient We want to teach the
boys and girls to see straight wher
they are children SO they can see
straight when they are men and
women
ssYou have a splendid system OF
manual training here, and that viii
/ help a great deal.
To-day I visited your fair ground.
and 1 was delighted with the prog
ress you are making under specialist
Buy more ground now around you
school buildings, and you will saw,
/ hundreds of thousands of dollars
When you can get boys and girls t.
/ tote fair in play you can get them t.
| tote fair in business
about this proposition of the stat
fair. You will keep on having you
fairs until the legislature recognize
/ fetal state fair. After this fair mex
4 fall you'll show them what you'v'
Idone'' CONTINUED applause.)
i Members Endorse Speech.
/ 81 am a member of the First Pres