The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-02-29
EDUCATORS SEE GREAT VALUE
Wisconsin Declared to Be One of Lead
ing States in Union in Providing
Practical Education for the Boys and
Girls in Public Institutions.


tion, or what is more generally known
as practical education designed to fit
persons for one kind or another of the
work they may be called upon to per-
form, is just now being agitated to a
great extent, not only in Wisconsin,
but in all the states Of the union.
The state of Wisconsin appears to
be particularly interested, judging from
the number of letters received by the
members Of ths state delegation in
congress, urging the passage of one or
another of the several bills now before
the federal legislature. These are com
ing in by the hundreds every day. The
interest Of the educators of the state
is also reflected in replies to inquiries
sent by Senator Page of Vermont re-
garding his bill to encourage instruc-
tion in agriculture, the trades and in
dustries and home economics in sec
ondary schools and in preparing teach
ers for these vocational courses.
81, Some Of these replies are as follows:
Duncan McGregor, private secretary
of Gov. McGovern of Wisconsin, says:
~ am directed by Gov. McGovern to
express to you his unqualified approx
al of the purpose Of bill No. 3, sixty
second congress, first session, introduc-
ed by yourself on April 6, 1911"
Charles McKenny, president state
normal school, Milwaukee, says: 81
have your letter of Dee. 7, inviting me
to conference on Dec IA, is and 16,
at Washington, d. G., to consider the
Page biH. / regret that previous en-
gagements prevent my being present at
the conference. l want to say that I
am in sympathy with the general pro-
visions Of the Page bill ~
A. A. johnson, superintendent Mil
waukee County School of Agriculture
and Domestic Economy, Wauwatosa,
says: fI am very much interested in
the bill you have introduced contem-
plating federal aid for secondary agri-
cultural education in the various
states. Will you kindly send me a
copy of the billg hope it will pass. Y
The editor of the Butter, Cheese and
Egg Journal, Milwaukee, says: 1--WE
fully appreciate the Importance of
greater educational interest along agri-
cultural and home economic lines, and
we shall endeavor to aid the cause to
the best of our ability. We assure you
of our hearty support +"
John +. Sims, state normal school
says; "This measure, in my opinion
is a most desirable one for the whole
country, as the questions involved are
the most important in present day
needs. The bill, if made law, will
stimulate the scientific study Of agri-
culture, make the farm more attrac.
tive and more profitable and encour-
age a wholesome move back to the
country.
Henry E. Miles, chairman of the
committee on industrial education OF
the National Association of Manufact.
urers, says: "'The present common
school system is cultural; practical
matters are not part of its aim, MOI
can they be made a part. Less than
one-half of our children go beyond the
sixth grade; only one in three com.
pletes the grammar school course; only
one in five enters the high school; only
one in thirty graduates from the high
school. Taken as q whole, it is com.
parable to a transoceanic liner, half
of whose passengers drop out midway
and only one-thirtieth of whom reach
the port of destination. Half Of the
children leave school at the age of IA
The Wisconsin bureau OF labor, in its
report for 1910, declares that only
twelve per cent of the children EN-.
ployed under sixteen years, OF age are
in positions where they can learn a
trade. In Germany every boy, even
TO the sons of the emperor, must learn
trade. The nations most progressive
Sn industrial education are probably
Germany, Austria, Belgium, France
Switzerland and Sweden. Germany
apparently prefers that the great body
Of her children shall enter the indus
tries at the age of fourteen. The
point is that Germany goes into the
industry with the child; the hand OF
the child is kept within the hand OF
the state. The school to which he
goes is called the continuation school
for in this school his education is con
tinued. In the continuation school
only the science and art of the trade
rs taught
Prof. Ely of Wisconsin, declares,
"lndustrial education, not for the few
but for all people, for every boy and
girl born in the United States, with
out one exception, is the chief econ
omic demand of our times. Compare
lively little is attained by picking i
few here and there and elevating then
pRbove the masses by technical schools