Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-06-21
EDUCATE THE MASSES.
Henry Wallace Makes Strong Plea
to Educate the Masses.

to observe at the graduate school
at Ames last summer that several CT
the leading men openly contended,
and in a most positive way, that the
object of the agricultural college
should not be to educate farmers,
but great, broad minded top notch
ers" who should be 1.-The leaders OF
farmers" 1t should be said, how
ever. that when we openly challeng-
ed the correctness of this idea in
public meeting where it was empha-
sized in most radical way, we were
sustained by some CT the leading
farm educators of the United States.
1t is not surprising, however, that
number of thinking men should
fall into this idea, because 1t is the
idea upon which practically our
whole educational system has been
based For example, we are spend
ing in Iowa half million a year
each for the University and Agricul-
tural College, and legislature made
up very largely of farmers hesitates
to give even one-tenth of that
amount for extension work. Our
high schools, which should be the
schools of the common people, have
adopted courses fitted for but very
small per cent, five or less, who will
ever find 1t possible to go to college.
The Carnegie foundation is making
every possible effort to elevate the
standard of the colleges and univer-
stiles, as a condition of the profess
sors receiving the old age pension.
These universities and colleges in
turn send agents to the ordinary
high schools, and endeavor to ad-
vance their standard of education, SO
that the graduates of these high
schools may be able to enter college
without examination.
The whole idea that education is
for the few and not for the many
has permeated our entire education
al system We are glad to see that
there are here and there vigorous
protests against 1t. For example,
Mr.. Aaron Levy of Syracuse, New
York, in an article in the Journal
of Education, under the heading, "A
Philosophy of Industrial Education"
has the following, which we hope
will be read by every man who is
interested in the education of his
children, and who has the power,
however, small it may be, to shape
the education of the future;
"One proposition is clear. A sound
philosophy, then, demands that ev-
cry boy should be thoroughly train
ed in industrial education regardless
of his station or desire. Industrial
or hand training should be made
fundamental subject as vital and as
widely taught as the common intel
lectual subjects. More than two
thousand years ago. in Palestine, the
rabbis in wisdom declared that the
man who did not teach his son a
trade taught him to become high.
wayman. The republic should see
to it that every pupil should learn
some handiwork, should be able to
become a producer In case of need. |
The resultant benefit to the state as
we'll as to the individual justifies
this procedure. There is no reason |
why the son of a millionaire should |
not become mechanic IL his capa-
city should lie along mechanical
lines. If the child of a laborer may |
become statesman, it is equally es-
sential that the children of brain
and the consuming class
should likewise recruit the produc-
ing element in society.
"The state now discriminates
against industry by laying undue
stress on intellectual ingenuity, by
favoring brain workers, by furnish
ing teachers of the intellect, but pro-
viding hand training only charity. |
The system is now one-sided, making |
the high school the way to college, |
encouraging the young more or less
to believe that the on
ly worthy kind Of education is in
Every child, rich or poor,
Is entitled to the privilege of such
a kind of fundamental education
that when he chooses his life work |
he may choose intelligently after be-
ing introduced to the fundamental
types of activity. Now, the average
boy, ignorant or out Of
sympathy with hand training, is
largely induced to enter the profess
sional life, often without any par
ticular capacity therefor.
THE state should alike be inter-
ested in the masses as well as the
leaders; the master mechanic should
be as much a matter of deep concern
as the lawyer or doctor. Above all.
in a democracy every pupil should
get the education that will thorough