The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-12-02
OLD INDUSTRIAL
TRAINING SCHOOL
Ark. Institutions Taught
Practical Sciences Ninety
Years Ago.
Shop
carly and
get first
choice.

washington, Dec. -1lldl ",
dustrial training. often supposed to
he a recent innovation in American
education, was introduced into In
dian schools in Arkansas eighty or
ninety years ago.. Is shown ny stephen
Public School Education in Arkan-
sas,'' just issued by the United States
bureau Of education. The boys In
these early schools were taught n
elements Of agriculture, the girls
needlework and domestic science. and
all we're instructed in habits of In
dustry, neatness and order. At least
one school was almost self-support,
ing. AS early as 1910. Governor Yell
sent a message to the assembly n
tanning recommendations for agri-
cultural and mechanical training that
mark him as a pioneer in this signif1-
cant phase Of modern education.
DR.. Weeks traces in an interesting
and scholarly way education in Ar
kansas from the earliest days OF pri..
vate academies and UNCONVENTIONAL
undertakings, on through the blight
ing period OF Civil war and recon-
struction, down into the active pres
emit. with its remarkable record OF
educational progress in the face of
great difficulties.
Schools of the ante bellum days in
Arkansas were not free in our sense.
since the poor were t be educated,
but as charity. The ideal al first was
Of a school rendered free by endow-
ment rather than supported by public
taxation. Education, like religion.
was left to personal inclination. The
population was small, Indifferent to
culture. bent on the conquest Of nat
ure. and very widely scattered. 1T IS
mt c,rnrioSnO than ~ oN,c nr VVookc
that no general system Of education
was developed during this period"
Progress Halted By Civil War.
What progress did take place was
soon halted by the Civil war. During
the war education received scant at
tention. The reconstruction period.
likewise, was necessarily a period of
ment. but during this epoch certain
important principles we're definitely
adopted: Public taxation for the sup
port OF the schools; establishment of
The position Of superintendent OF
public instruction as a separate state
office; the education Of the whole
people. both black and white. and the
ton.
With the restoration Of home rule
in 1874 and the incorporation Of the
public school system un%equivocally
into the constitution OF that year. the
permanency of public education was
Iassured. Since that time it may fair
ly be aid that the school system has
been administered in the interests OF
all the people under Il policy moro
or less uniform.
The slow but steady improvement in
educational conditions In Arkansas
reached a climax in 1909, when the
assembly passed two compulsory at
tendance laws. and two acts on ag-
ricultural education. one requiring the
teaching Of elementary agriculture
other appropriating $780, 900 for spe.
cial schools to teach agriculture. hor-
ticulture. and textile manufacturing.
The legislature Of 1911 passed no less
than 13 education acts. covering con.
oscillation Of rural schools. compul-
IsOry attendance. the creation of high
schools. and the establishment of q
state board Of education.