The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1915-09-25
SUGGESTS CHANCE
IN SCHOOL SYSTEM
G. N. Thomas Shows Need Of
Vocational Training.
BACKS OPINION WITH FACTS

BACKS OPINION WITH FACTS
Taking the Economic Condition Among
Our People In Philadelphia a. an
Example, Professor Thomas Makes
Strong Plea For tho Kind Of Eduoa.
tIon Which Supplies Individual Needs.
Charles M. Thomas, LII. B., In an
able article which appeared In a recent
issue Of the Philadelphia Ledger dis
cussss at length the need Of vocational
training for colored people. Professor
Thomas article in part reads thus:
THE time has come when the color
ed citizens Of Philadelphia and every
citizen should talk, discuss, tnvesd'
gate. agitate and enthusiastically sup
port all forms Of education which
seek to improve Industrial efficiency.
Having passed the period Of exploita'
ton of extensive natural resources,
this country. and especially in Its ur'
ban centers. is facing an era of con
servation and higher efficiency through
elimination Of waste and increased
skill In its operatives preparatory to
securing the perpetuity Of the republic
through unborn generations.
An examination Of the occupation
statistics for the last census Of the city
Of Philadelphia shows 51O,871 males
and O,29S females engaged In the
fundamental activities Of agriculture.
trade, transportation, domestic and per-
sonal service ana clerical work. or
these persons about SO in every 1000
are colored males. and 100 in every
1000 are colored females. How are
these people employed and in what
ways can public education aid them
and consequently the community In
which they live? For, unlike many Of
the foreign born elements Of the city,
the colored people spend their earnings
where they make them.
Suffice 1t to say that these people
have physical wants to be satisfied by
foods, houses, woods, metals, textiles
and clays and drugs, such as all men
have, and they have spiritual aspira-
lions to be satisfied by culture from
social contact, travel, amusements, lit
erature, music and art, but they have
aimed to satisfy the more pressing
wants and aspirations by the methods
at hand, by imitation and, to large
extent, by accepting any and every op.
portunity offered by those to whom
they could be of any service.
"A few, through keener insight, better
guidance or more friendly contact and
the equality Of opportunity, have blaz'
ed ways for their peculiar capacities
to supply the wants and aspirations OF
those more able to secure what theil
capital would command. In fact, Phil
adelphia has been renowned among
colored people for the number and fair
ness Of its opportunities to secure di
versifed employment, and there are
not q few families among its coloret
population who are beyond immediate
want, II not able to aid others both BY
charity and employment. Using the
method Of trial and error, many have
sought to increase their capacity tt
satisfy their greater wants by follow
ing the traditional curriculum Of thu
free school system, only to find II
many instances that such procedure
made them aware Of even larger want.
and higher aspirations without pro
port1onately increasing their power II
satisfy them.
"What is needed today Is such {
method Of educating each and ever!
child In this and each other American
community 50 that he may not onl!
know how to secure permanent ant
positive good in this life, but that b
may know what constitutes such per
manent and positive good In an eco
nomic age such as this now Is and bid
fair to remain. Education today mus
aim to inculcate character as just ant
equitable relations to ones fellows II
all activities, to give training In tn
skillful and economic production o
useful things and in rendering Ell
Ecisnt service by maximum output wit
minimum expenditure Of time and en-
ergy and to induce loyalty to the stat
and activity for its betterment. Sucl
an aim can be realized at a cost no
much greater than that now borne TO
q training largely literary and clerical
q training which neglects to a larg
extent the necessity for motor activit
In the formation of the very ideas tn
schools claim to establish.
"In the vocational schools the vari
ous activities may be subdivided, ant
the special fitness Of students may b