Morris tribune., 1912-02-09
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Industrial Education
in Rural Schools.
BY George F. Howard, Mime
sofa Agricultural College.

I.
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The rural schools are the most i'm
portant in the state. Probably 80 per
cent of the men who will take the fore
most places in business and profess
Sional life in the next generation are
today receiving their elementary edu-
cation in the rural schools of this coun-
try; hence the problem of making
these schools the best possible for
these men of tomorrow becomes the
greatest and nearest at hand today
The educational world is coming to
believe in the value of industrial train
ing and education. First, because Is
per cent of the boys and girls in the
United States are to go out and earn
their living with their hands, and we
are learning that the earlier we begin
to train the hands the more dextrous
they become. Secondly, we are find
ing that industrial work does not him
der the work in books, but rather
helps it. To make chair or wagon
box, an apron or loaf of bread,
causes a keener mental activity than
to learn history lesson; and teach
ers are finding that pupils come back
to their books with better results be-
cause of having done some industrial
work. Because of these results Is per
cent of our high and graded schools
are now Offering courses in manual
training, home economics or agricul-
ture, and the remaining schools will
add these courses just as rapidly as
competent instructors can be secured.
But what for the boys and girls in
the rural schools? Can they have
none of this training Of the hand, none
of the work that connects the school
with the life of the home, the farm,
or the life which they are soon to try
as men and women? Surely these
boys and girls are worth as much to
| the world as their city cousins, and
they are as well entitled to some of
trained boys and girls.
What can be done? Consolidate the
small. One-room country school into
larger schools, where the industrial
work can be taught" you say. Yes.
but that will be years hence. What of
those in school today? All that is
lacking Is belief that. something
could and should be done Parents,
teachers and school boards need only
to realize the value of this work and
determine that some of it shall be
done, and the rest is easy. What is
needed is not so much scientific or
technical instruction as lines of work
that will interest the boy. One writer
I says "EdNcations in any line is to get
the boy where he wants more" and
this can be done in a country school
as well as in the best graded school
in the land. 1t all depends ON the
teacher.
An industrial club can be organized
in every country school, Have little
formality about it, electing a presi
| OOAO 0Au 6CNlCLaIy 1uu 1uS Uut
all business matters in good parlia
mentary form. Club meetings should
be held ON Friday afternoon after re
cess The girls can sew or study bak
ing; the boys can study corn or grains
or they can have a manual training
bench and do some of that work. Al
one meeting all can unite in giving a
corn show, to which every boy and
girl shall bring in six ears of corn, Sc
lected from what is raised on the farm
Pupils should Judge the samples and
decide who has the best. Finally, the
officers or some good farmer should
pass final judgment for the benefit o1
ALL At another meeting a potato ex
hibitfon could be given; in like man
ner at another meeting cake exhibi
ton; at least twice each year a public
exhibition of work done, consisting o
sewing, baking, corn, potatoes or tht
products of manual training should b.
given. An admission fee of 10 cents
could be charged, the money to b.
paid out for premiums; and the hous,
Will VIC P6ShCO W LAO uOOLS Will III
terested parents.
In the fall, just before the count!
fair or industrial exhibition which ma!
be held in the county, the distric
should hold school fair in the schoO
house, the pupils to bring the exhibit!
they are planning to take to the coun
ty fair, and display them in the school
house. Let the day be made holida!
for the whole district, and let every
body come and spend the day visiting
and inspecting the exhibits. The ladie
may serve lunch at noon. The mex
day the entire exhibition may be takeI
to the county fair.
There are so many ways in whicI
work can be done in rural schools
that will connect the school with lif
in the home or on the farm, that no
to do any of it is to unnecessaril,
. dwarf the opportunities of our chi
dren; and to maintain that it cannO
, be done successfully is to confess In