Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-11-03

commended by those who have seen
them. In the College OF West Africa,
maintained by the Methodists In Mon
rovia, under Bishop |. B. Scott, the
main work Is that of the elementary
school. Last year there were only
three college students. The equipment
is primitive, but the teachers are
capable. They are all Of them from
the United States and appear to have
had the experience and training which
At them for their work. 1t seems that
similar conditions prevail in the Epis-
copal institutions.
groundwork OF Education ls the Corn
mon School.
I have dwelt upon the pitiful aspect
Of primary education in Liberia be-
cause believe that whatever forms
education may assume, its groundwork
is the common school, and that no
professional, technical or Industrial
education can prosper except upon
such foundation. Moreover, ] have
avoided the common criticism of L.
berian education, that time and money
is wasted In Liberia college upon
Latin and Greek to the neglect OF
other things far more important to
citizens of Africa. This l do because
Liberia college Is not college at
all, but merely large graded school
The time Of its professors and the
money expended upon it is concerned
almost exclusively In the teaching OF
the common English branches.
The foregoing has, presume, made
It clear that any institution which
may be created In Liberia for any
grade of higher education must, In
the present deplorable condition OF the
elementary schools, maintain Its own
feeders. It must take the children
at the earliest stages and give them
such preliminary training as would ut
them for any special instruction that
may be contemplated. In time, the
burden upon the institution of supply
ing elementary education might be
removed If one feature of the institu.
ton itself were normal department
A normal department furnishing
trained teachers to the common
schools might so enhance the value
of the education given in those
schools that any institution of higher
rank would thereafter not be obliged
to rely altogether upon its own pre-
paratory school, and might eventually
abandon such school and devote
itself to the special ends for which
| it was created.
Country overrun by clergymen.
So far as there has. been any out
| look towards the higher education
there has been a distinct leaning to-
| wards the learned professions OF the
| bar and the ministry and thus indi'
| rectly for the public service. In LII
IBERIA the profession of the ministry
SO far from being bar to public serv'
ice. seems to be direct preparation
for it. At recent church service, a
portion of the Scriptures was read by
| the sheriff Of the county, prayer was
offered by the postmaster general, the
sermon was preached by an associate
Justice of the supreme court, and the
benediction was pronounced by mem
Der Of the senate. The country Is IN
fact overrun by clergymen, OF whom
1 but q small portion devote themselves
/ to their profession.
The great and crying need Of the
country is in technical education and
In preparation for more progressive
agricultural and industrial occupation
| There is, moreover, among the older
/ generation growing feeling that they
have too long neglected the Industrial
opportunities Of the country, and their
speakers dwell with insistence upon
the need Of better farming and the
need of productive occupation. 1t Is
encouraging that one of the fostmost
exponents of this doctrine, D. E. How
ard, now secretary of the treasury, is
the president-elect, so that we can
count upon the influence OF the future
administration being directed as far
as it can towards promoting the eco
nop,ic and industrial development OF
the country. The establishment at this
time OF an institution in Liberia,
based on the lines of the Tuskegee In
stitute. located in Alabama, U. s. A.,
would be one OF, the greatest blessings
that could be conferred upon this
country. Such an institution should
have two quite distinct aims or de-
partments. The first should be a normal
department, for the need OF which
the foregoing statements offer conclu-
siye demonstration. This normal de-
partment is a necessary adjunct to
| the main purpose of such an estab-
lishment, in order that in time the
general system Of public education
| NAV be improved and the institution
relieved of the necessity of giving ele-
mentary instruction and therefore put
ting It in a position to do a larger
work along industrial lines.
About Industrial Education.
With regard to Industrial education,
in country like Liberia, which is al
most wholly agricultural, 1t is a mat
ter Of course that any industrial
education should be based largely
upon agriculture. 1t should, however,
be pointed out that there are certain
distinctions between agriculture In the
tropics and agriculture in temperate
climes, which must be brought into
the reckoning OF any plan for the es-
tablishment Of any agricultural school
in the tropics. In temperate climates,
the object of agricultural education is,
in large measure, to educate workers.
IN the tropics the aim must be to edu-
cate oyerseers. Neither the white man
nor the negro who has been trans
planted from the United States in
Africa can endure the hard physical