The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-09-17
INDUSTRIAL
EDUCATION
SUPERINTENDENT RICHARDS AD-
DRESS 10 THE TEACHERS IN.
STlTUTE.

luS Il IhN'dllbI W. ~
Ir. Richards said in part:
In order to understand this sub
iect FULLY, We desire 10 consider the
being to be clucated and under
standing these thinga, how he is to
be educated.
"ln discussing this subject, We are
confronted with a number of Difficult
ties. The first OF these is the numcr
Gus ways OF treating the dcve opment
of life next because Of the differ.
ence OF opinion about now tar and
along what lines the childs develop
ment should DE carried by our schools
today However We shall consider the
subject from the poin' Of view Of eve
luton, inheritance, and from a social
standpoint, and consider what educa-
tiun is to do for the child. and how
it is to do it,
MAN is an animal. differing from
the lower forms of animal life in his
nervous tendencies and his intellect
ual propensities Man is born with
very few well organized tendencies
capable of development, and OF MANY
different combinations of organiZa-
lpIl. ~ - lIt blllNt Ol tUUftllOn 10
discover what these tendencies are
in tae individual, and TO give the
proper stimuli for devolouing those
tendencies to the greatest possible
strength, and to aid the individual i'm
making many distinct combinations OF
the tendencies. so that he may look
a. life from aS many different points
OF view as possible. thus enabling
him 10 supply means 10 the accom-
pishment of the greatest number of
ends
Again, the chi;d is the combination
of streams Of tendencies from the
past In the child we have the en-
bryonic concentration of the past
mental, moral and physical tendencies
of all its ancestors. Every one real.
ICES hat physical and moral tenden-
cies are inherited for we see eN.
amples around us every day that
verify this statement. not less true
is it that the child inherits certain
tendencies as every stu
dent of human nature knows.
He inherits a great number of po
tential powers which are to de devel-
oped by environment. Inheritance fur
nishes the foundation upon which en-
vironment builds. Then the child's
environment should be such as will
enable MIN to build the Strongest
structure possible, which structure
Is character. His possibilities and
should be studied and
the means of development adapted to
these; his good tendencies should he
nourished by exercise. while his bad
tendencies should he suppressed by
lack of exercise, for % develop chi'd-
hood To virtue, power, and due free
dom is the supreme end of educa.
tiOn, 10 which everything must be
as means.
Again, the enid is sometimes re
Sarded as a social being, and his
influenced by his relation
To society. At first, the child's world |
j. very small, bounded for the first |
six years of his lile by his home and F..
immediate Community At six, its .
world is enlarged into school life .
where il is brought INTO touch with T.
A larger number of persons under |
Inherent circumstances, and thereby .
has larger duties, responsibilities and /
tights. Here he learns to respect the
lights of others, and how others
should respect his rights Here he is
prepared for the duties o. life, and
aught his relation to this larger
n real life Here he learns hat he
Icts upon and in turn is acted upon
" this larger, OF social whole. that
=, int y,,g
he life that he is TO live after ieay.
ng school Since the school stands
etween the home lite OF the cnild,
nd the real or larger life, it is then
he duty OF the school to make this
ranstiOn rs perfect as possible by
repairing ;he individual to function
o the greatest possible good in his
phere of life.
Spencer said that the end of cduca-
on is compete living; but failed
. tell us definitely OF what com
lete living consists. The National
Association which met
Cleveland Ohio, in 1908. declared {
hat he ideal is the production of
tizen with broad ideals. plus capac-
y sharrened to the point of crafts
lanship. The ideal aim is not to
Ipplanj the workshop. but TO pre-
are for or cooperate with it 10
'Cduce. not mechanical proficiency.
no enlightened deNtcrity.
OF the twenty million young people
tho schools of our country il is
lrely estimated that one-fiilh pass
NJ into the world every year to Join ,
Ie army of workers -Four million ..
lung people thrown annually into ..
le Industrial ranks OF the country 4,
irhout definite and IN any WAY ade- ,,
late preparation for their work, pre-
utS problem quite different from D.,
mr. million Young people joining =
e ranks OF the workers with Gefi- j
tc specialized training for their vo- r
,ionS. For this reason, practical :
ID industrial training i'm public ,
hools mas not been considered bv Il
nocl people alone II IS the one ;
lestion in education which primarily +
lpeals TO thoughtful students Of so c
al problems not directly concerned f
the work of the school room. l. +
iG stimulated tho most asfi,-, oDl -