Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-04-03
kinney OUTLINES IDEAS
FOR DIRECTING SCHOOLS
CONTINUED from page seven)

largely theoretIca. and inapplicable,
from over the sea-
i 1T is not practical to say: now we
will have vocational training. purchase
equipments and set the pupils to
work at making tables and tabourets.
: This is only superficial, and the prob
lem is deeper. From studying what
we have already on hand we can learn
to select that which has worked well,
and to avoid that which is yalueless.
1t is not possible to furnish every
school in the territory with a full
equipment and really competent teach
ers of the necessary specific training.
Even If 1t we're, the expense would
be wholly disproportionate to the re-
suits The .Hilo Boarding School, for
instance, comes much nearer furnish
ing material for the sensible solution
Of the problem, and it presents the
enormous advantage Of coming closer
TO the ideal of being largely selfsup-
porting.a b..
The schools in general can without
doubt do much towards preparing
their pupils towards the agricultural
land mechanical pursuits to which a
/. large portion of them should be fitted,
tif the schools are to perform their
function and give them an education
which is practically applicable in their
adult lives and pursuits, and they can
do this largely without special equip
rsent or additional expenditure. Not
to elaborate unduly, mention by way
of illustration the fact that learned
more by observing the construction OF
buildings, the sizes and use of the ma
terial, the manner of placing II to-
!, gether, and the method of estimating
bill of material, than did by a four
year course, In gymnasium in Europe,
where received rather elaborate In
struction in carpentry and the like
along the lines now In vogue here.
!; The same holds good about agricul-
ture. where much sound knowledge,
as. for instance. regarding the methods
of seed selection, fertilization OF soils,
cattle breeding, etc. can be impaired
without the use Of equipment and
without the necessity Of trained spe-
cialists, who demand high salaries A
man whom regard as one Of the most
successful agricultural teachers in Ha-
wall, tells me that text book could
be prepared which would outweigh in
general value the usual Agricultural
training now advocated wherein he
has been rather successful instructor
which would be Of more real value
than the ordinary radish-planting type
OF instruction which obtains. / sug-
4 gest that II would probably not be
difficult to. obtain assistance from the
federal experiment station authorities
/ In the preparing of the manuals, and,
instead of employing specialists In
Horticultural faddism, the general run
Of teachers could readily be given the
knowledge required through the sum.
mer schools and through the medium
Of the monthly school publication,
which would thus give them knowl-
edge capable of real local application.
rather than the reprinted ideas Of
mainland theorists. am familiar with
the details along the lines Of which
!, this proposition can be worked out
4 1T must be recognized that thu
widely gathered information on which
II
referred to. above, and the fact that
even the Hilo boarding school is NOT
absolutely satisfied that the knowl.
edge gained by its graduates is always
turned to practical purposes, shows
that there is a great danger that mo-
ney and time may be wasted on in
struction which does not attain its end
The problem IS to determine on q
course which will turn the money
spent thereon to practical value. To
spend at the rate of $45.00O, as per
current budget, on an attempt to do
nothing much more than to spread
thinly over the schools in general a
superficial knowledge of cabjnet:mak-
ing Is futile and wasteful, since work
OF value can be done only through a
few central institutions. The depart.
ment already possesses much In this
7 line, and the best results will be at.
tanned by concentrating attention on
such. =.
Time and money are largely vast
ed in teaching farming and mechan-
les to a student who is preparing to
be. a stenographer or a professional
or business man, just as much as 1t
would be waste If we taught the en-
bryo farmer shorthand cannot get
| away from the idea that, after Civ
ing the pupils in the general school
course the instruction referred to
above, pupils who wish to specialize
IN vocational training can have the
best opportunity of doing so by at
tending one of the central training
schools provided for the purpose, as
can those who wish to specialize in
business" by taking a special bust
ness course
"lf this strikes the governor as prop.
er, it will involve a consideration of
such training schools. think / can
see a way of providing such without
any material outlay of money, certain
ly at a very low one as compared with
the appropriation referred to. How
ever, in this I may get beyond my
depth, as get beyond the authority
and limits of the department of pub
= liF IN SfT