The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-02-14

Du1lC- upon Wnar Is a rational. educa-
ton for the masses of men. We have
no right to reduce, impoverish, or dis
tort the educational opportunity Of the
great mass of people who depend up
on the high school for their only op-
portunity, in the interest Of the few
who go to college,
Whether or not the. individual stu
dent has made up his mind to become
a lawyer, a preacher, a doctor. or
whatever other career he thinks he is
by nature, ambition, and temperament
best fitted for, still the worlds work
must be performed; and those des-
tined to do this work must not be de-
prived Of the best the public schools
can offer that will give them a proper
attitude toward, as we'll as preparation
for, the. serious business of life.
To this end the people pay their tax
es. Manifestly, therefore, the taxpay-
ers should in some tangible manner be
directly benefited as the result of the
expenditure Of the school funds-bene-
fits that strike deep into the cominuni-
ty life.
But what are the community needs
that may be supplied by means of
practical education? They are numer-
Gus and diverse. And for this reason
no fixed or %infiexible course Of study
Tor al! h children, after the funda-
mentals are mastered, will supply the
community's needs. We must. distin-
gulsh between what a single Individual
could take and what the community as
a whole ought to know. This can only
be determined by those thoroughly
conVersant with local community life
and who know by experience what sub
Jects will have a bearing upon the
~chlldren's lifework to the end Thai
they may render their respective com
munlties the best physical and social
service, and at the same time them
selves get n maximum of Satisfac-
ton or pleasure out of their occupa-
lions, Whatever those occupations may
be. "
IF our system of education is to
achieve the highest results, it must
recognize the natural differences in
men, both qualitatively and quantita-
kt1Vely; and while it trains the bright
est and best for the positions of most
responsibility and therefore of honor
IT must SO shape its policies that those
who for any reason cannot, or do not
remain to the limit of time, shall dror
naturally into useful places for which
their little schooling has somewhat
definitely preferred them" Ocean Dav-
enport.)
The larger problem of public educa-
tlon would seem, therefore, tt pre-
pare people to live; to afford them a
reasonable amount of instruction d.
rectIy applicable to the things they
will have to do and which will enable
them to do those things with greatest
efficiency.
This recognizes the dignity of labor
n the desirability Of encouraging as
many as possible to enter the produc-
1--WE Vocat1ons. In the country schools
agriculture should De as prominent in
the course Of study as commercial
subjects are in the city schools. II
should be as thoroughly taught as
arithmetic, but with far less admix-
ture of the useless and impractical
problems that are Incorporated in thai
subject.
In the consolidated and high
schools. manual training as we'll as
agriculture should occupy an honored
place. and domestic science should
rank with English or mathematics
wherever girls are in attendance.
THESE subjects may not be considered
fundamental in academic training,
but they are at the foundation of
practical affairs and domestic life.
Moreover, practical affairs and domes-
tic duties. as we'll as the professions,
demand efficiency; and as the bulk of
mankind in every community is made
up or men and women in
manual pursuits or household affairs.
their vocational training should begin
In the public schools instead Of being
compelled to learn after leaving school
the things they should know and what
their living will depend upon.
The difficulty with our uniform
courses of study and the subject mat
ter they embody is that those arrang-
ing them are woefully lacking in ex-
perience in such things as confront
the everyday citizen and the home
maker. For subjects that At nicely
into preparatory courses for college.
but which cannot be applied to any
thing else, fall short of meeting the
demands of community life.
AS a matter Of fact the education
offered, especially in the high school
the peoples academy-should take
a fairly. wide range, preparatory for
those who wished to enter college, and
vocational! for those who, after gradu-
alton. will engage in business or pro-
ductive pursuits. For the latter. sub
jects purely cultural or disciplinary
have not the most important place,
for all. subjects whether training for
business or hand -labor pursuits. are,
when properly pursued, both dis
ciplinary and cultural. Such sub
jects, therefore, as Latin, algebra,
ancient history, ETC., can well be dis
penseo with Tor the many who do not
intend to enter college, and subjects
substituted for them, that will have a
direct bearing upon the business or
vocation such students, from choice
or force Of circumstances, will follow,
Moreover, there is no good reason why
a completing with credit any
high school course, requiring four
years of application, should not be
admitted to the freshman class at the
university.
But academic or technical training
alone is not sufficient. The public
school should afford an elementary
knowledge Of many things that are
not found in ordinary text books, but
that nevertheless bear directly upon
social domestic, and business af-
fairs.
One important thing that must be
impressed upo the pupils mind is
the necessity for. being economical.
Our present waste Of resources and
human .ar1nrp1y zoov,ck ~ g.. II