The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-05
WHY OPPOSE TRADE SCHOOL.
Member of Industrial Council Elk
plains Position.

The board of education has placed
on file without comment a resolution
recently passed by the Topeka Indus
trla1 council protesting against the
trade school plan as adopted by the
board, but the resolutions are being
passed around among the 25 local I'M
ions in Topeka and as quickly as they
ara signed they will be turned over
to the clerk of the board of education.
AT the last meeting of the Topeka
Industrial council several speakers de-
clared themselves as being opposed to
the effort of the school authorities to
direct the pupils in the schools to a
very small number of trades. They
considered that the choice of a trade
or profession should be left to the par
entS, and that the children should have
the best of mental training.
THE fact that scarcely half the chill
dren in schools at to 8 years of age
pass through the grades, and only
about one in six reaches the high
school, was considered a very serious
reflection on the present system of ed
ucation," said a member of the coun-
ell today. 1T was further stated that
the cost of pupils in the high school,
based on numbers enrolled, is nearly
twice that in the grades.
I'm view of the attempt to point the
way for boys to enter one or two
trades, attention was called to the ex-
tent in which trouble appears in later
life among those who find themselves
misplaced, engaged in occupations
which are not the best suited to their
dispositions and capacities; yet being
ties they are unable to get loose and
take up other pursuits. Many lives, it
was said, are burdened and embitter-
ed by these conditions.
The fact was brought out that this
had attracted attention in eastern cit
les to such an extent as to lead to the
esta bliShme emit of Offices to aid young
people in the choice of trades. Infor-
nation had been gathered in relation
to wages and other conditions in con-
nection with various occupations, which
is placed at the service of young peo-
pie who ask the assistance of these CT
fees At the same time careful in
curry is made of the applicants to de-
termine what they are best fitted for
and in what line they are apt to make
the most of their abilities
Here is the resolution that is being
signed by the local unions in Topeka:
Resolved, That the proper work of
the public schools is to fit children for
life whatever pursuit or profession
may be adopted, and not to qualify
them for any particular occupation
Resolved, That as the present econ
Or1ic system cOmpelS thousands of chill
dren to leave school at an early age in
order to become contributors to the in
come of the family, every possible eff
fort should be directed in the primary
grades to arousing the desire for learn
ing and to teaching how to learn so
that there may be disposition and abil-
ity to pursue education after schools are
left behind-
Resolved. That it is inconsistent with
the best theories of education held at
this time to force the young indis-
crirninately into a few trades or pur-
suits and as it is manifestly in1possi-
BILE to offer a choice from a large num-
Der of occupations, we condemn alto
gether the project of teaching trades
in connection with the common schools. -
Going over the Iirnit-ssOld Bill? Just
gone ,orne. rollin' drunk well there's