The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-08-21
EUening Chat
Those Terrible Trade Schools.
BY RUTH CAMERON.

Those Terrible Trade schools.
| Every now and then some writer
| breaks out in one of the magazines in
| a fever of worry lest there be too much
practical education and too few Gull
| tural studies in our schools and col
leges-
and in beautifully general terms about
| what a tragedy it would be if
young people learned how to do some
| thing we'll instead of getting mental
discipline and broad outlook.
They tell that it may be impor-
| tant to learn how to earn money, but
that it is also important to learn how
to look at life.
Whenever I read an article like that
I say to myself, Il don't believe that
cial realities very hard
He says it is a terrible thing to sac
rifice your young peoples broad out
look on life by teaching them to earn
their bread and butter. He evidently
doesn't know what it means to be so
harassed by the dominant necessity
of getting that bread and butter for
yourself and probably several others
that one can think of nothing but the
need of it. How much good does a
broad outlook do a man whose life is
narrowed down to moment-to-mo-
ment struggle to make both ends
meet?
He is afraid we will make the next
generation too practical, too much in
terested in money. He doesn't realize
that nothing makes one SO painfully
interested in money as having to count
pennies and limit ones simplest ac
lions by the result of the count.
Trade education need not absolutely
cut out cultural studies, although it
will, of course diminish the time for
them. Besides there is one fact these
anxious reactionarieS seem to lose
sight of, and that is that learning to
do something we'll and intelligently.
even though the same thing be done
with the hands, is cOnSidera BILE mental
discipline in itself.
OF course it is important to learn
how to live as well as how to earn the
wherewithal to sustain life, but that
knowledge does not necessarily come
entirely from cultural studies. 1 have
known more than one manual worker
who knew more about how to live,
who had a quicker mind and a more
thoughtful philosophy of life. than
most of the college graduates who
have had their fill of cultural studies
and mental discipline.
To my mind, there is more misery in
the world that comes from the fact
that millions of people have to muddle
along on a pittance, because they don't
know how to do anything well, than
from almost any other single cause.
I am a college graduate and I love
my college, but I think if I should die
with money to leave to some philan
thropy it would be left to further the
cause of the trade school and practical
education in general.
Many of my letter friends send me
such interesting comments that it does
not seem fair to keep them to myself.
So 1 have decided to devote a little
space now and then to passing them
on.
You remember L wrote you some
weeks ago on how to make children
mind letter friend sends this pat
contribution:
Jacob Abbott gave in one of his
books this rule for a young girl who
had the oversight of a little sister
When you consent, consent cordially; |
when you refuse, refuse finally: when |
you punish. punish goodnaturedly; |
commend often, never scold-'