The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-07-04
Permanent Elements of Education

II 10 the permanent elements of
education that justify the vast ex-
pendIture of money for II and the
enlistment of hundreds of thousands
of teachers In its army OF workers.
More than 400 colleges and universe
ties with more than ten thousand
teachers and more than 100000 stu
dents with endowments aggregating
more than a billion dollars, make up
the higher educational budget OF the
United States More than $4,000, 600
pupils taught by more than half a
million teachers receiving salaries out
OF the public excheQuer aggregating
more than $500. GOO. geo annually re-
present numerically the American
peoples interest in secondary educa-
tion. And these expenditures In money
and In human energy are increasing
every year. II Is because we have
seen. or think we have. certain abiding
elements in education that we are
willing to invest men and money In II
In such bewildering proportions. We
haye found, or think we have, that
educAtion pays well for every dollar
invested in IL and for every particle
of neural force devoted to it's acquisi-
tion. The American people SIT at the
fest Of the pedagogue during the
formative period OF childhood and
adolescence and far into that of eariv
man and womanhood, as no other
people ever have, and they do 1t be-
0auDe Of the permanent elements they
have seen In education.
/. PRACTICAL INFORMATION.
among these permanent elements
the practical American would place
foremost, practical information,
knowledge eoufpping directly for some
vocAtion. Skin contributing to wealth
production and industrial success. We
have departed far from the old notion
hat gentleman should nave no bus.-
mass. The American gentleman with
No business LIS your tramp or Jail
We believe that work ennobleg man
and consider every ioafer a parasite,
whether he be rich or poor Education
IOught to be practical and il ought to
Hsstat In achieving material siccess.
III always has and il always win. or
N will cease TO be. In insisting on
me practical benefits of education.
MOWever there Is involved the danger
}9Df stuntIng the finer sensibil.ties If
{&he soul and reducing life to material
Ina only. We must all make our liv-
I'M that is materiaiistic--and that
zExfng should be the best Of which We
S&fA eApable-that liz Grass material.
r4. and yet ! believe In 1t. I would
eiude In best" however. many
1ngs which the extreme materiaiist
2ould vigorously exclude. I would
Is BE- content with undertaking only;
III Would occasionally peep at the stars
FRS xNsEsTENCE SHOULD sE s-e
ON Man. NOT ON PRACTICAL
u our insistence on practical edu-
Ation We should put the emphasis on
1ucatiOn. which is another name for
x N1an-development. rather than on
n encftcal Man 10 the most important
1eaAent In education. not prAc.icality,
xeu can never make a frst-rafe law
$X6f out Of b man God has ct aside
i 10 TIL the soil, and the best way TO
sSsmke Of him the most efficient farmer
= $>coe&ble IL 10 give htn. acquaintance
NH life In the large MS well Ne with
&he practical, technicai traiqtng re-
i 2nxxe6 a. the farmer. The h&et man
Il y y9ux bread G1thoItc. aymaath etic
i kna this holds true ~hEther he
~ ! 1axmeS, asiocek06sie pfss eroS|
lslua.I ~. slsIs We II ,sa a
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