The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-08-16
BUSINESS AND THE SCHOOLS.

That the present movement for
practical education is stimulated from
the industrial rather than from the
educational side is a fact both prom
Using and disquieting, according to
Owen r. Lovejoy, who discusses "Vo-
cational Guidance and Child Labor
in a publication Of the United States
bureau OF education.
THE employers have q very def
mite program" says Mr.. Lovejoy.
They know what they want and are
going after it. Let US not delude our
selves by thinking they are actuated
by philanthropy. 1t is simply good
business. They want crop Of fresh.
young labor furnished them every
year that can make a fewer mistakes
and more profits.
This is extremely gratifying, In
one sense It indicates that economic
selfinterest is attempting to shake OF
the double burden society has long
borne-the burden Of using goods
worth much less than they cost be-
caues poorly and inefficiently made,
and OF supporting by charity those
paid less than their work Is worth
because Of their poverty, inefficiency,
and consequent helplessness. But
while employers are awake to the
need Of efficiency, industry is not In.
dustry still beckone to the inefficient,
the immature, the unprepared.
Society Is far from having reached
a decision that unskilled labor must
be abolished The occupations which.
outside OF agriculture, absorb the out
put of our schools are barren Of any
element to make them OF present In,
terest to the child or to offer any
hope for the future. A vocational
survey in New York City exhibits in
one group 101 boys between IA and 16
years OF age with an analysis OF the
work they are doing. For only OF
them is there any opportunity to ad-
vance or improve: 96 are In dead-ent
occupations.
business Is now saying that II we
had the right kind Of schools all this
would be changed; that child labor
would become blessing instead OF
an abuse for children. We are con-
stantIy told that, II the schools had
the right kind of curriculum and gave
the right kind Of training, every child
would have his natural capacity de-
veloped, and we should speedily put
an end to the army Of Industrial mis-
fits.
in accepting this challenge OF the
tn ~ N,,n <4~~ l,ov
sumed an unwarranted responsibility
for the condition that exists. A study
Of the annual contribution OF our
city scho ols to the business interests
Of the community will show that a
percentage is thrown in.
TO the discard within the first month;
that another large percentage goes
drifting from job to Job, sometimes
advancing, quite as frequently reced- |
Ing, the industries complaining that /,
the children the schools turn out are |
no good; and that the children lose /
enthusiasm, and youthful
dealism in the various meaningless !
obs to which they are assigned. That !
many drift into casual and thence In. |
20 permanent idleness Is to be expect +
I'd. The only wonder Is that any ulti I
nately rise to positions OF efficiency I
md responsibility.
Our schools are not fair to them.
selves in assuming that they or the /
child are wholly at fault. If the
schools need a better curriculum, so
Ices the Industrial establishment. II
he child needs more definite and t
'urposeful MIND. much more does in.
iustry- One of the most vital services
Tocational guidance can render Is TO
inalyze our industries and train our
vouth to distinguish between a voca.
ion and Job It Is futile to give