El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-24
THE growing interest in industrial
or vocational education led the


American Federation of Labor TO
investigate this subject in it's relation
to the public school Despite all re-
ports to the contrary, this organize
ton now stands strongly in favor of
having industrial or trade schools a
part of the public school system of the
country. In this connection, John
Mitchell, the labor leader. saws: .sThe
high school formerly trained the pu-
pills to prepare for professions. but.
since there are more people in the me-
chanfcal trades than there are in the
professions, the public school should
also teach the principles and the ele-
ments of mechanics" This attitude
is being generally accepted by all of
the federated organizations
Home Makers PredomInnte.
There are 100000 people in the
United States engaged in professional
work, 100000 in trade or commerce,
100000 in domestic or personal ser
vice, 100000 in mechanical or manu-
featuring pursuits, 100000 in agri-
culture and $4,000, 900 as home makers.
These figures indicate that the great
mass Of the population is engaged in
work other than that prepared for by
the high school or college. The recog-
milton Of this fact has led to considera-
ton of the economic value of adding to
the public school course work that
will be helpful in preparing the child
for its after life
Vocational Training.
Vocational training and manual
training are terms generally used in
discriminatory by those outside of edu-
cational circles They frequently
have an entirely opposite significance.
although all indicate progress in the
development of practical education
Any work done by the hands is manual.
1t is only vocational when it serves to
fit the student for his future work
Woodwork, as in manual training, has
educational value for all the boys of
class in training them to the skillful
use of their hands. 1t is of less i'm
portance to the boy that expects to
become lawyer than the boy who in
tends to become a carpenter To the
latter 1t is vocational education. voca-
tiona1 education may be made to in
clude each Of the ordinary studies of
the curriculum as well as manual work
If they are applied by teacher under
standing the needs of the pupil
Training the Girls
To most girls, vocational work will
include preparation for home making
and, with this end in view, Mrs Ella
Flagg Young, superintendent of the
schools in Chicago, has made provision
for special credit to be given to the
girls in the seventh and eighth grades
of grammar shcool and also in high
school, If they desire to spend addi-
tional time in domestic science One
of the latest Developments in vocational
training is. that which gives instruc-
tons in the different departments of
home making to the girls who will be
the home makers of the future
In Boston this work has become so
thoroughly developed that there is a.
school IN which housekeeping, cooking,
sewing. mending, nursing and the care
Of children all are taught in a syste-
matte manner. 1t is known unofficial
~ as the matrimonial school In New
York and Philadelphia, the care of
young children is one Of the latest sub
5ects added to the domestic science
course
The girls vocational school of Alba
ny last spring demonstrated the prac-
ticability of its work by colonial lun-
cheon given TO q guests, including Dr.
Draper, commissioner of education of
New York The girls designed and
made in their art class the invitations,
place cards and menus. They designed
their colonial costumes and made them
in their sewing class. They cooked and
served every article on the menu as
an example Of their cooking accom-
plishments and the neatness and order
of the rooms utilized indicated that
their instruction in general house
keeping was practical instead of theo-
retical. The luncheon was simple and
wholesome demonstrating that the
girls had a proper understanding of
food values.
In the Rural Schools.
In the rural and agricultural schools,
the part that woman plays in the de-
velopment of the farm house is recog-
nized as being quite as important in
economic value as that of the man. so
the girls are taught the care of milk,
the making Of butter. raising poultry
and many other matters of similar i'm
port, in addition to the regular domes-
tic science work Of the town schools
possible the rural conson-
dated schools are fitted with the latest
devices of housekeeping apparatus and
the farm girls are taught how to use
them.
For the Boys.
For the boys, vocational education
may be continuation of the wood and
iron manual training begun in the ele-
schools continued through the
high school into the shop or through
the higher technical trade school, or it
may lead through the commercial
course to the office. through the col
lege course to the profession or