The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-05-01
INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION

Industrial education does not differ
fundamentally from any other form
of professional education that requires
a considerable amount of specialized
knowledge. 1t is not a thing apart
but part Of, or a phase Of, general OF
universal education. Every persons
education may be said to be made uE
OF two parts, one part vocational and
one part that is not; or, one part tina,
fits him to work and one part that
fits him to live. Possibly the ideal
education would be one made up en-
ure,y of the latter, but, unfortunately
for this theory, man must live by the
sweat Of his brow, and if his education
has not given him an insight into the
stern reality of life, then his educa'
ton is certainly at fault. Here we see
the grounds for the commercial world
demanding that schools send out per.
sons prepared In some measure to
work, and here the reason for the
claims that schools are wasting the
time of the students. Probably if the
commercial world could adjust the
balances in education the training for
work would be heavier and would di.
minish considerably the heretofore
standard of classical education sub.
jects. i
Possibly in such a case technical
training might be. over-emphasized.
Nevertheless We cannot get away
from the fact that this is hard, cold,
world, that ninety per
cent of her people are industrial, and
has tended to cater to the
minor ten per cent. The world asks
the same question of every fellow who
comes from school, whether he be
from the University or the seventh
grade. This has been the question
asked Of the ninety per cent, and will
continue to be. The question is not,
Can you read Greek?" or "Can you
tell of the boyhood days of Aristotle?"
The world demands, What can you
do?" If the fellow answers, Moth.
Ing" then he must begin to build the
M hor mart ~ h;c Inn sided od,,oo<io,
But at what loss and Inconvenience
TO himself does he learn by hard
knocks how to work. Small wonder
that he blames the school for it's in
and less wonder that
the world thinks poorly of him and
worse Of the school
Universan education must not be
one planned to meet the needs of the
few, or to favor the ten per cent at
the expense Of the ninety per cent
There are good people who seem to
EEL that shop-work is a sort of frill
to provide a new variety
If entertainment. First of all these
people show a wonderful amount of
ignorance in making such sweeping
and furthermore display
IN astonishing lack of intelligence in
something about which
hey have not even a superficial
Considering that there
ire these fossils" in the educational
ield, and these relics of antiquation
advance, it is not strange
hat the demanded changes have come
very slowly. The fault, while partly
lue to peculiar circumstances, lies
noce with the educators probably
han any where else. AS class they
II court. are educated in a one:sided
way, j. e. their training has been all
cultural and educational and nothing
more. They oppose industrial train
ng for reasons which they hardly
know themselves, or for reasons which
t analysed would prove to be nothing.
The colleges long ago learned that
o meet the demands they must fur
,ish two kinds Of education; one
technical to meet business needs and
make its graduates directly efficient
members of society, and the other a
education which has
10 money-making power, and to be
by sons of the rich. The
High schools, which have been term
"a SCHOOL
! ~4Nkst \ Q I'll