Omaha daily bee., 1914-08-10
SCHOOL And COLLEGE WORK
Another View Of the Vocational
Training Problem.
EDUCATORS ARE NOT TO BLAME
Modern Industry Demands Too Much
OF Society In Expecting All to ne
"EffIcient" as wealth
Producers,

That the present movement for practical
education is stimulated from the In
dustrial rather than from the educational
side is fact both promising and dis
uuietlng, according 10 owen r. Loveioy.
who discusses Vocational Guidance and
Child Labor in a publication OF the
United States Bureau OF Education.
The employers have very definite
program," says Mr.. Lovejoy. They
know what they want and are going after
It. Let us not delude ourselves by think
Ing they are actuated by philanthropy. It
is simply good business. They want a
crop OF fresh, young labor furnished them
every year that can make fewer mis-
takes and more profits.
This is extremely gratifying, In one
sense. II indicates that economic self
interest is attempting to shake off the
double burden society has long borne
the burden OF using goods worth much
less than they cost because poorly and
inefficiently made, and OF supporting
by charity those paid less than their
work Is worth because OF their poverty.
inefflciency, and consequent helplessness.
But while employers are awake to the
need OF efficiency. industry is not In
dustry still beckons 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 output OF our
schools are barren of any element TO
make them of present interest to the
child or to offer any hope for the future
vocational survey In New York City
exhibits in one group 1O1 boys between
Il and le years of age with an analysis
of the work they are doing. For only
five of them is there any opportunity 10
advance or improve; ninety-six are in
dead-end 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 chill
dren. We are constantly told that. IL the
schools had the right kind Of curriculum
and gave the right kind OF training, every
child would have his natural capacity
developed. and we should speedily put
an end to the army of industrial misfits.
I'm accepting this challenge OF the bust
ness world our educators have assumed
an unwarranted responsibility for the con-
dition that exists A study OF the an
nual contribution OF our city schools to
the business interests of the community
will show that a considerable percentage
is thrown into the discard within the
first month; that another large percen-
tage goes drifting from Job to Job. some
times advancing, quite as frequently re-
ceding, the Industries complaining that
| the children the schools turn out are no
good; and that the children lose courage,
enthusiasm, and youthful idealism in
the various meaningless jobs TO which
they are assigned. That many drift into
casual and thence into permanent idle
ness is to be expected. The only wonder
is that any ultimately rise 10 positions
OF efficiency and responsibility.
sour schools are not fair to themselves
in assuming that they or the child are
wholly at fault. II the schools need a
better curriculum, 90 does the Industrial
establishment. II the child needs a more
definite and purposeful mind. much more
does industry. One Of the most vital serv-
ices vocational guidance can render is to
analyze our industries and train our
youth to distinguish between a vocation
and a job. 1t is futile &c give special
| training to a child for the purpose Of
fastening him TO a machine on which
he shall do purely mechanical labor for
life. Business says: Here are the Jobs;
what kind of children have you TO offer?
We must reverse the inquiry and say to
business: Here are our children; what
kind of industry have you to offer?