The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-10-10
Two Types of Education

Two Types Vi EuucdtlOn
THAT education which has for its chief
aim preparation for social life through
personal culture is called liberal educa-
tom" that which has for its primary OBJ
ject the development of productive capac-
ty through the cultivation of individual
efficiency for the performance of the
worlds work is designated as 'voca-
tional education Except as preparation
for the so-called learned professions of
law. medicine and theology, most of the
education of the past has been liberal
rather than vocational, and has been
given in colleges and universities, insttu-
lions that are beyond the reach of the
average man. Within modern times GER
tain other callings, notably engineering,
architecture, journalism and so forth,
have come to be regarded as learned pro-
| fessions, and for preparation for these
provision is also made in the higher in
| stitutions. The tendency is TO extend the
designation of learned profession to all
occupations, for admission to which spe-
cial academic or vocational training is
| generally conceded to be necessary.
Much of the so-called liberal educa-
ton given in colleges and universities.
and most of such education given in ele-
mentary and secondary schools is largely
vocational. All of 1t that serves as a
| necessary foundation for or as a natural
concomitant of the preparation for one 5
| life work, whatever such life work may
be- is essentially vocational
ION the other hand, much of the train
| ing designated as vocational education is
liberal. All of it that tends to widen
| ones mental horizon, to expand one S
store of general information, to broaden
ones sympathies. is essentially liberal
Indeed, it is impossible to determine
definitely just where liberal education
ceases to be liberal. The two are so
linseparably connected, that it is impossi-
BILE to draw line of demarcation.
las before stated, the distinction is to
be found in the chief aim. in the domi-
nant purpose. If that be personal culture.
| the education is liberal; If that be prepa-
ration for efficiency in ones occupation,
it is vocational
| Until within a recent period. except for
, the learned professions, the chief aim of
! education the world over has been Gull
tural the vocational feature being minim-
lied. Especially has this been the case
| in our own country. 1t has been taken
| for granted that our youths would nat
urally choose or drift into the calling for
which they were best adapted As a re-
suit there are and have been countless
insists. millions of failures, and much of
unhappiness. poverty and crime
Educative Agencies
"Educative powers and processes are
broadly distributed. OF the numerous
agencies for education the most potent
are home. school, church, press, stage,
| library, occupation, workshop, playground
and community life. Each is supplemented
and re-enforced by some or all of the
others
.The distribution of educative functions
among these agencies of society is con-
| tinually shifting. Under the rapidly
| changing social and industrial conditions
of modern life new and perplexing adj
justments are constantly taking place. As
a natural result some of these agencies
are growing less powerful as educative
forces, while others are becoming more