Newark post., 1912-04-10


p'SSed, me boy or girl seeks to es-
cape from the country school ,
nus. his scholastic traininc is end
CO.. ana the youth Of potentialitips
ocSlls ms career at or near the he.
ginning OF the adolescent period IT
Il tlme when he is most recenfivn
ana needs more than at anv othe,
age, careful, systematic disciplinp
OF pom mental and physical rea~
SONS he Is not Il productive unit of
much value, and because thp period
from fourteen to nineteen wears Of
age IS spent without any fixed. def
nlte purpose, as it would be in fine
proper sort Of school. when ma.
turltE Is reached the young man or
Young woman has no PREPARATION
Tor any calling and. in conseourncr
ms CT her contribution to the well
rare OF mankind is much less than
the world has d right to expect in
TINS progressive aye.
VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
1t has been number Of wears
since the school boards in the cities
nave shown their appreciation of
the value Of vocational and indus
trlal training by introducing it.into
the public schools. This sort of
training has long since passed the
experimental state, and it is now ii
well established fact that training
in the every day affairs of life.
whether it be for the boy learning
how to forge steel or for the girl
learning how to make bread. 50 long
as all Of the underlying principles
are taught pedagogically. are Just
as valuable in training for efficient
citizenship as d knowledge Of the
history Of Rome or familiarity
with all Ct Browning's works. I'M
portant as they are.
1t is hardly possible to say that
enc kind or sort Of knowledge is
more valuable in developing the
young mind than another kind or
sort Of knowledge, and as long as
eur best authorities in educational
problems agree upon this point. il
is no more than ri chit that at least
some vocational studies should be
included III the training Of the
rural child. especially when there is
evidence that such courses can be
used Immediately in increasing the
production Of the land. and III
awakening an interest in his own
environment that will have IA ten
dency to keep him in the country
and cut of the congeSted centers.
Nevertheless. however important
vocational training may be IN the
country. and however desirable il
NAV Ge to have it introduced in our
rural schools, it is practically I'M
possible to make even the most ele-
mental beginning with the eXpccta-
ton Of obtaining results that are
satisfactory under the existing con
ditions of the rural schools.
ANYTHING that tends to make
class distinctions between the ur
ban and the rural citizens IS to be
deprecated. However. in spite OF
all that has been done. said, an'
written about the dire consequences
that are sure TO follow the steady
Immigration from the country t
the city. the fact remains that th'
city provides its residents with Su
perior school and social advantages
and that the country IS not making
any effort to meet the competition
FurthermOrp. the city schools ar'
keeping up with the march Of prog
resS. and. in many cases, are so WEI
equipped and manned that thel
pupils step directly from them !llt'
the ranks Of skilled Workmen. Ih'
pupil from the rural school. goes t
the farm for a career, undertaNlh!
an avocation that is most complex
dcpending as it does upon all tn
natural sciences and requ1rm:
business ability as well, with abso
hltelv no preparation. 1t is gen
orally conceded that in no business
other than agriculture. could
Young man succeed as well Wlfho''
any preparation. How m'lch % lohgs Z.
this will be true Of agriculture, IN
great basic industry, no one IS an
to conjecture.
THE SOLUTION OF THE r'noi '''''
LEM-CONSOLIDATIoN.
} The solution of this problem III
wolves the consideration OF at leas
:,,,.t,nt factors, namely. I'll