The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-09-11
ON PRACTICAL EDUCATION


where, If intelligence and other desir-
able qualities are brought to the work.
the technical side can be mastered in
remarkably short time. The idea
that long technical training is neces-
sary to do most of the things of life
with the greatest efficiency has been
exploded.
what was on my mind when | be-
gan to write this letter was to saw
something about the effort that is
being made to introduce agriculture
into the country schools. Perhaps /
nave not wandered too far atield in
speaking in general terms, and now
we shall come more directly to the
point.
II to introduce agriculture into the
country school means that all BOYS
are to spend time in its study (?), the
suggestion is most remarkable to
come from practical men," Is the boy
going to remain on the farm because
he was born there? Can he be made
to stay by giving him agriculture in
the schools? In an old country like
France where a child is all but born
into the occupation of the parents and
lmbibes 1t with the mothers milk
such an education has not prevented
a large proportion of the boys from
leaving the farm. Can we hope it
Will do so in America, where lines be-
tween different occupations are not
so tightly drawn as they are in Eu-
rope! writer in a recent number
OF French magazine, in discussing
this fact, advocates teaching the coun-
try youth scarcely anything but what
relates directly to farming, and ex-
presses the opinion that such an edu
cation will put an end to the trouble.
We want men on the farm but when
we try to accomplish the result by
catching the youth of tender age in
trap we encounter a moral phase
or the affair Perhaps the moral en-
ters more largely into the question
than most of us are aware, for evil
IDENTIFY boy should have something
to say about his life's vocation. Or
dinarily the lad in the high school
is not ready to elect his life's work.
Nor is agriculture going to be taught
efficiently by the high school teacher.
The country boy, though he attends
school, spends half his time in actual
contact with things on the farm, and
in great many cases in company
with father who knows more about
agriculture than the teacher can be
expected to know. His practical edu-
cation is being taken care Of
The need of the country school is
not in that direction. 1t is rather in
the direction of thorough work in
the so-called cultural subjects. Super
ficiality, Europeans say is our beset-
ting sin, and nowhere is this truer
than in our schools. To add another
milk -and-water subject would be to
make the situation worse.
What is surprising to some of us in
the ranks is that more of the leaders
in educational thought do not en-
phasize this side. The schools should
be bent on securing teachers who have
good education, who know life in
it's fullest measure, who can interpret
1t as found in history, literture, art
science, and who will give the stu
dents training 1--WE should not be
afraid of the word) which counts for
so much in later life, regardless of the
occupation to be followed Much in
pedagogy that, just at present, is be-
ing hawked about, Is the veriest rub
bish. The get-rich-quick idea has
invaded the domain of education and
is as mischievous there as elsewhere
Courses of study are going to change
from time to time, but there is one
thing that is certain among the un-
certainties. A short cut to secure ma
terial things, instead of a longer and
more difficult road that leads to a
larger and more stable civilization,
should have no charms for noble
people worthy of the highest destiny.
To enter such a way deliberately is
one of the first signs of decadence. We
are confident that the good sense and
sterling qualities of our people will
determine them to march in the way
| of true progress.
w. E. BREAZEALE.
Rutgers College,
New Brunswick, N. j.