Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-21
TOO MUCH FORMULA
Schools Attacked for Lack OF
Vocational Training.
STUDENTS MISS CALLING
Mr.. Macfarren Quotes Square Pegs
in Round Holes
SYSTEM HAS ITS DEFENDERS
MI. Ely and Mrs. Mussey Take Up
Issue at Monday Even
ing Club.
SYSTEM HAS IT'S DEFENDER

Importance of Vocational Council"
topic of the Monday Evening Club of
its meeting last night in the y. NJ. c.
"A. building, developed criticisms of the
public school system, it's defense and
| an exposition of special schools in the
| District of Columbia, and vocational
training as inculcated in the schools of
Germany and France.
Other than in the presentation of the
subject by Myron j. Jones, educational
director of the Y. NJ. c. A, in charge
Of the program, scant consideration was
given by the speakers to the question
Of the Importance of vocational guild
ance. Those who were to have spoken
to the theme failed to put in an ap-
pearance and the substitutes all admit
ted that time to prepare for the topic
had not been given them.
"Mill Of Misapplied Energy"
| S. ]. Macfarren, traction engineer. who
introduced himself as his own horrible en-
ample Of man who had been through
the mill Of nlisapplied energies, and also
denominated himself deserter from the
army Of square pegs in round holes
has much fault to find with American
| institutions. Besides his criticisms of
public school education, he diagnosed the
ills of the body polite follows: APP
palling waste characteristic of the Ameri-
can people. exceeding that of any other
people at any other time; disgraceful
criminal jurtsrudence. whose evils Presi-
dent Taft had exposed; tremendous in
efficiency of railroad operation in ma
ton which had been Dragging for fifty
years of its efficiency; a farcical jury
| system. eNnectpd of
twelve men who cOu id not be made to
agree on any one subject at any one time,
under any other circumstances; the patent
system that works hardshipS on the in
ventive genius, compelling him to seek
Interpretation of the justice of his claims
in as many courts as there are separate
| federal Jurisdictions in which he would
| exploit or defend his ideas.
Mr.. Macfarren said he was educated in
a little red schoolhouse in Pennsylvania,
where he got useless schooling in Latin.
| He made the charge that schools fail to
connect youth with after life, and de-
| clared that the system has been recruit
ing for fifty years to his knowledge the
army Of square pegs for round holes
Too Much School Formula.
| The inefficiency of the American in the
industrial world, he intimated, had its
origin in public school education. He
thought that the worlds school ounces
could answer the question of the effici-
ency of the public schools, and recited a
roster Of great men who got bad marks
In the class room to develop superior in
telligence when emancipated from pre-
vailing pedagogic methods.
/ The graded school, said Mr. Macfarren,
stretches all the short minds and COM
presses all the long ones, producing a
splendid average of mediocrty. The sys-
TEN seems to fail, he said because it
deals too much In formulas and too little
in live things.
The correspondence school is producing
better results, he asserted, because it is
dealing largely with pupils who are al
ready engaged in industrial pursuits and
developed to get the best out Of instruc-
ton for their own particular needs.
Schools do not develop individuality, but
repress it, he asserted, therein failing to
prepare for life work.
He discussed GermanyS work in voca-
tional education, and said that the youth
of that nation were ready to make a de-
cision in the selection of careers at
age when American boys had not begun
wise choice oftener than was done in
America with its longer probation.
Defended by MI. Ely.
Then came to the defense of the public
school system Sheldon NJ. Ely. supervis-
ing principal. who replied to the previous
speaker, making the declaration that the
public schools do prepare It's pulls, for life
work. He cited instances of demand for
services of high school graduates which
could not be met because all the boys
were at work and getting better salaries
than offered. Then he instanced a SINH
lar demand for the services of a. girl
graduate of the graded schools and the
disclosure that all who wanted work
were at work on salaries of more than
$6 a week, and the others were preparing
for high school.
/ He declared that the public school
fathers are of open mind: seeking out the
truth and willing to teach it; inviting in
struction and willing to learn; glad to
find a better way, and willing to weigh
suggestions from the Monday Evening
| Club end any other source.
| This IS the age Of scientific work, even
in the graded schools, he said, and scen-
tific methods were being applied and de-
veloped. II better methods of preparing
for life work or to inculcate moral train
ing are devisable, the schools of Wash
ington, he said, would be glad to adopt
| them.
/ PROGRESS Made Every Dav