Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1913-02-28
THE EDUCATION THAT FITS FOR
LIFE

theoretically, we are all agreed
that the only real education is that
which fits the child for the life it is
to i've. Generally we interpret life
as getting a living but there is a
good deal more in education than fit
ting the child TO get living. is
not life more than meat; and the
body more than raiment?"
There are two things involved in
education One is the drawing out
or developing, the perfecting of the
workings OF that piece of machinery
in use that we call the mind; so
training it that we can think clearly
and cogently and accurately The
other is the connecting of the think
ings OF the educated person with his
actual business in life, so that he can
make the work OF his hands not
merely profitable, but pleasurable.
Educators are prone to insist on
the first kind of education as the
only real education. Now, we can
lot well overestimate the Importance
to that development of the mind that
will enable a man to use his brain to
the best advantage; but the theory
that when man is thus educated
he is competent to deal with any
problem of life that may come up
lacks good deal of working out in
practice. There are plenty of men
Who can solve accurately almost any
problem that may come up, speak in
several languages, are familiar with
half dozen sciences-and yet are
not able to turn these to any prac-
tical account in dealing with the
problems of life. Educators are
further very much inclined to the
belief that the training of the mind
which they call culture can be best
obtained by the study of higher
mathematics, metaphysics, languages,
etc. They forget that there is a vast
amount of training or culture to be
secured by studying things that have
= very practical bearing on the prob
lens of everyday life. If education
is to fit us for life, we must not only
have the development of the powers
of the mind, but the capacity or abil-
ity to apply these powers to the
everyday problems of existence.
1t must not be forgotten that there
ere vast numbers of people who can
not take this higher education, as it
is called; whose brains seem to be
in their hands rather than in their
heads; who can by no process that
was ever devised be so educated as to
PASS an examination for graduation
from a high school or for entrance
into a college. In fact, the majority
of the young people born are of pre-
cisely that class, and to attempt to
educate them for what nature did
not fit them for is simply throwing
time and money away. and uniting
them for the real work of life.
The interests of the state demand
that these people should have an in
dustrial education or an agricultural
education, an education in the line of
their life work If this be true, then
our present system of education is
terribly lopsded, and will be until
we learn that life is a very broad
thing, that the natural powers of the |
human mind are as varied as the oc-
equations Of men.
Therefore, if we are to have educa- |
ton that fits for life we must have |
education that fits not the few for
the life they are to live, but the
many In most of our western
states our system of education is
pyramid but it is trying to stand on
it's top instead of on the broad |
foundation. A broad foundation can
not be built by an agricultural col |
lege, a university and a normal |
school. 1t must be laid in the schools |
of the open country and in the com
mon schools of the cities and the |
towns.-Wallaces Farmer, Des |
Moines, Iowa.