Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1912-04-03
A TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

1t is often stated that the only way to judge
educational system fairly is by its results.
There is considerable doubt as to the exactness
Of this statement, as there is at least one factor
of fully much, perhaps more, Importance.
That factor A.is the kind Of men who are sub
Jected to education under any educational system.
A frequent criticism of technical engineering
schools is that a.great percentage Of their gradu-
ates prove failures according to prevalent stand
ards of Judgment. The schools and modern sys-
TENS Of education blamed for this condition
in large degree. We question the justice of this
attitude
There is no doubt but that there is room for
improvement in methods of technical or engi-
neering education i'll many and perhaps in all
schools The main trouble, however, with the
graduates who fail to up in later life
is that they were never fitted by nature to fol-
low technical or engineering work 1t is grave
mistake to try to educate man beyond his
mental capacity or along lines distasteful TO him.
Temperament counts for much, and it is practical
ly useless to fight against it. A number OF the
great masters Of music We're educated for the
law, than which nothing could have been more
distastefu to them. For the good of both the
legal profession and art they renowned law and
devoted their energies to music. 1t is equally
useless to try to make mining or any other
kind of an engineer out of man whose temper
ament and talents are such that his success can
only be hoped for in pursuit Of other entirely
different lines OF work
1t is equally useless to try to educate a man
of small mental caliber weak character and
expect to fit him to successfully compete with
those of strong character and far superior abil-
ity. But what is the situation as it actually
exists? Our technical and engineering schools.
that is most Of Them are accepting as students
all applicants who can pass certain requirements
of scholarship regardless of other really more
important considerations This is unfair to the
men themselves and to the engineering profess
sons. This state of affairs in the engineering
professions, brought about in a large degree by
the aforementioned conditions has been touched
upon by various engineering writers, who point
out that the situation is really becoming serious.
The great question is what can be done
about it.
To the shame of the educational profession
it must be said that too much zeal is often dis
played by the heads of educational institutions
to enroll students for various courses regardless
of their fitness to succeed either in their studies
while students, or in the professions for which
they are given training, after graduation It is
time for this perniciols system to be abolished
Entrance requirements should be made more
severe, and should not only cover scholarship
but should be extended to embrace inquiry into
the applicants fitness for pursuing the line of
work for which he proposes to fit himself The
steps to guide students into lines of work best
suited to their natural abilities should really be
begun before the time has come to enter coeg
lat least in the high schools.
The farms. trades and many other lines of
business are demanding and better help
1t part of the tide that is now flooding the pro.
fessions with incompetents could be turned to
industrial and trade schools. great benefit would
result all around. The standing of the profes
sions would be raised by eliminating those who
would be credit to them; there would be
fewer disappointments due to lack of success in
life and other occupations would be benefited
by the acquisition of better-trained labor-Mininp
and Engineering World