The Washington herald., 1914-07-20
Industrial Education.
Ry pR. cItARLEs n. s1EINMETZ.

President National Association Of Corporation Schools
j. Education always has consisted of two structural
parts: The general education, comprising all those
features which every member of modern civilization
must know before he can safely specialize in yoca.
t;ona training, and second, the education for his
further advanced future vocations Now these
two divisions have been carried in the past, one
the general education by the public school system
and the vocational education by the industries.
In the bygone days the apprentice classes of the
industries took care of that part. Now with the
change in industry from the small establishments
to the corporations this latter portion the apprentice
training, has collapsed and the time the re-
quremeuts have been and have become more strict,
more general, more veriegated
! Now, means must be secured, if our civilization
is to continue provide industrial education There
are two possibilities is a reconstruction of the
industry that part of it, to cope with this problem
of the corporation schools the apprentice schools
Another way is when you are not satisfied with the
way things run, TO call the community, the nation
and the State to do them. That ISL asking the public
schools to educate mechanics which you formerly
trained, and which modern industry does not take
in hand
| The proper way is the combination of both meth
ods-the public schools and industrial schools do
not believe any OF these should be handled ex-
clusively by the ndustres-that is the corporation
schools Neither is anybody prepared to state that it
is the duty of the State and the nation to alone give
industrial training. Possibly both will have to CO.
operate in it. That is the great problem which we
must investigate, its meaning and its feasibility and
its possibility, to make definite and concrete
proposition, and to provide those % per cent
of graduates who leave our public schools without
industrial training, provide them with an industrial
training which is sufficient to make them earn proper
living.
Within this big problem there are many other
problems which require solution Detail problems
are just essential Now, since industry wants this
ii should use corporation schools and trade schools
to give industrial training to the graduates of the
public schools.
The structural elements OF a corporation are
human beings. and the efficiency of the corporation
depends upon the efficiency of the structural elements
and all we can do 10 make those elements or units
more competent vocationaly, physically and mentally
benefit which ustihes the expenditure of the cor
porations money in the interest of the stockholders
and others. We must now take. all we have-all the
data of our problems-and turn them into numerical
records so that be presented the stockholders
at the annual meeting OF the different corporations
That is we must show, in order to prove that the
apprentice schools and the corporation schools are
profitable not merely from the viewpoint of general
discussion.
do not believe that any one does not realize it is
good investment to go into and develop that ac-
tivity but we must be able to record and show this
numerically and mathematicaly in our annual report
1t may be said it is to the advantage of the human
race. That is all right but the advancement of the
corporation is the advancement OF the human race
too. We must take this work and translate so that
every stockholder and director of the corporation
can understand it.
Then there is another thing. We are here to do
constructive work in educational lines and to do il
as efficiently and economically as possible And that
precludes doing destructive work And as some |
speakers have pointed out there is an organization
in our public school system which should not over
look. We should not on the other hand put all the
blame on them. That agency has the confidence OF !
the citizens at large that they are willing to devote
to the maintenance of the public school educational
system the largest amounts in public appropriations
Now. because this educational system does not give
industrial training today and does not do what it has
not done heretofore, that is no reason for claiming
that the public schools should be shut down. There
is public organization. II is up to make use
Of it. as it is powerful and has the confidence of the
public. We should use it completely as we can.
To go outside of the public school system is per-
mssible but justified only when it is proved beyond
a doubt that the public school system cannot do it.
and cannot be made. to do it. That has not been
proven; and it will not be proven.
There are progressive trade schools and we must
cooperate with them, But by all means use the
agencies which exist, and before we attempt to do
something new must see to it that We fail to get
economy from utilization of what we have here That
can be attained have in educational inst-
tutes. We have seen the same thing in our colleges
The industries should take an interest in the educa
tona system of the college and add their influence
which is all powerful; and the colleges, wakening up
and doing their work by taking men from the in
iustries.
We must realize that we must keep our enthu-
'iasm-but let it stay earth; and realize that the
is organization, definite business or
yanization which must use. Do not throw away
something which may be made useful; because only
hereby can you get efficiency and economy in our
work.
Hard on the Weather Man.
In Indiana a society of womeh meets weekly to ,