The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-14
THEY BREED SNOBS
Supt. Fairchild Criticises Ten
dency Of High Schools.
Not Enough Attention Given to
Practical Things
LNCREASEVOCATIONAL
Great Majority of Pupils Would
Then Be Benefited.
Says Ninety-Five Per Cent Do
Not Go to College.

E. T. Fairchild. state superintendent
of public instruction, believes that the
high schools of Kansas and the state
are taking the wrong path in educa-
tional ideas and developing the course
of study in these schools away from
practical ideas. 1t is Mr.. Fairchifd's
idea that more vocational work in the
high schools. for the benefit of the 50
per cent of the children who do not re-
celve any education beyond the high
school would be of greater benefit than
an attempt to make the high schools as
near like colleges as possible.
Kansas has taken an advanced stand
IN this direction, having appropriated 4
quarter of million dollars a year to
help pay for teachers In high schools
who Will devote their time to teaching
normal training. domestic science and
agriculture to the students. Many of
the high schools already have manual
training departments and the state has
a fine school at Pittsburg to teach
teachers how to teach manual training.
Glass distinction is being inculcated
into the minds of every boy and girl
that enters a high school," said E. T.
Fairchild today. when the common
school graduate appears the teachers
tell him that Latin and Greek and Ger
man, philosophy, the languages and 9TH
er culture making studies are tho
things to be taken up and the student
should go very lightly on manual train
ing Or domestic science.
These studies are all right. They
should be required of every high school
graduate so that when he leaves the
school he will have an incentive to
better things. But there is only one in
hundred that ever uses these to
any advantage, except cultural in after
life. 1 would not decrease the amount
of cultural studies in any high school,
/ would increase the amount of voca-
tional work.
Breeds Glass Distinctions
This is the way the class distinc-
tions and the snobbish ideas of young
people are being built up. The reason
America has had little class cleavage
is because almost every person had an
appreciation of good handiwork, man
ua1 labor. The boys and girls are not
getting this now because they haven't
the opportunities. They are being taught
that it is better to have culture than to
know the things that are good in the
ordinary walks of life.
"a boy takes manual training in a
high school. 1 do not mean that the
high school should teach a trade 1t
should teach a knowledge of what con-
stituteS good handiwork. After a boy
has taken a course in manual training
he will not look with disdain upon the
blacksmith who makes an excellent
weld or the carpenter who does a good
job of joinery. The young man will
fully appreciate the worth of the man
in the rough clothes who makes a liv-
ing for himself, his wife and babies
by the carefulneSs of his hand and the
SteadineSs of his eye.
"a girl who goes to the domestic sci
ence department, no matter how rich
or cultured she may be and who act
ually SewS and mendS and cooks will
always have more respect for the seam
stress who does good work. AS long
as there is this proper appreciation of
the handiwork of others there can be
little important class distinctions. Our
fathers had this appreciation because
they saw it around them always and
Snobbery was at a minimum.
Few Go to College.
zone of the chief ideas of teachers
is that everyone should go to college.
1 wish this were possible but it is not.
Over 95 per cent of the high school
cumstances prevent it. If anyone will
glance at the number of students in
the freshman year and then in the
other four years, they will see a great
prevents the boy or girl going to
school any further Why isn't 1t a
good idea to give these boys and girls
the best of everything. 1t is the 95
per cent that do not go beyond the
high school whose parents pay the
taxes to support the schools. Why
| isn't it proper move to give the
many boys and girls the highest incen-
tive to culture and also to educate
them along practical lines so that
when they are compelled to leave
school they will have some practical
ideas in their heads to begin learning
a trade or to go into business.
"The cause of this is the college
| teacher. A man or woman goes to col
1ege, spends four long years there and
then begins teaching and the first
thing they do is to try to build up
college atmosphere about the high
school to make culture predominant
everywhere. They try to bring every
one up to the level of a, few who viii
continue their school work. instead of
trying to help the many to as much
| culture as possible and also as much
practical training as is available
Mr.. Fairchild secured a requirement
| in the common school course of study
for elementary agriculture and after
| 1912 all teachers must know how to
! teach this subject. The introduction
of the course was opposed by nearly
all the high school and college in
structions but was forced through the
legislature by the farmers and trades
men and the common school teachers.